


Stardust

by oiivkawa



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (so tiny it's barely even real), (super minor!), Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Humour, Iwaizumi thinks the fact that he's a nerd is cute, Kissing, M/M, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Oikawa is a space nerd, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-04-08 02:22:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 59,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14094981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oiivkawa/pseuds/oiivkawa
Summary: It was strange, really: Iwaizumi would have never taken the star setter for the school’s Varsity boys volleyball team to be such anerd.Oikawa's smart, good-looking and very much believes that aliens exist. Iwaizumi isn't inclined to agree, but he can't stop entertaining Oikawa's whims and allowing him to pull Iwaizumi towards a concept he doesn't think can be true.Though he has a hard time sticking to his beliefs when Oikawa's so passionate and charming. Somewhere along the way though, Iwaizumi realizes that maybe believing in aliens isn't such a bad thing if it means witnessing Oikawa's sunny smile.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super short fic on iwaoi meeting one another as partners on an astronomy project. I've got most of this already written so I'll update it once a week c: 
> 
> I missed writing gentle iwaoi and well, here's the product of my wants lmao so I hope you enjoy!

When Iwaizumi's program advisor recommended that he take astronomy to fill up his non-technical elective requirement, he had been a little skeptical. Sure, space was interesting but it sounded like a lot of math to him, and while he wasn’t opposed to a little bit of intellectual stimulation every once in a while, he was in the third year of his program, studying kinesiology, and getting closer to adopting the attitude of just wanting to graduate rather than finding an interest in the roundabout way universities operated.  

One look at Iwaizumi's hesitant frown, and Watanabe-san had jumped to assure him that this astronomy course was offered under the faculty of arts, and that it was more about learning to appreciate space rather than trying to map it out, which sounded completely fake to Iwaizumi but who was he to oppose an easy grade in a bird course?

Besides, the class was only once a week. Despite the fact that it was on Wednesday nights from 7 to 10 pm, it  _was_  the middle of the week and there truly wasn’t anything better he could have been doing, anyway. It was so much easier to get all the information for the week over with in one day rather than having it spread out over three one-hour lecture intervals.

So once every week, Iwaizumi grabbed his bag, his flashlight and his dusty old black sneakers to either head up to the top floor of the astronomy building or meet out by the soccer field to learn about space.

Mostly, their professor, Suzuki-sensei, just spat facts about the history of travel into space, how the stars were used to map out the Earth, and he sometimes even threw in a bit of random mythology about the names of the constellations and galaxies.

Overall, it wasn’t the most interesting class but it was definitely  _easy_  considering how little material they had. There were no tests, only a series of assignments that were well spread out over the semester and both a mid-semester and end of semester culminating projects.

Their first assignment was to create a star-map for the day they were born, which was easy enough to look up. Their second assignment required them taking ten different photos of the night sky and labelling all the planets, stars, and other occupants of the solar system, which sounded difficult in  _theory_ , but the school telescope they were allowed to use did all the labelling for you, so long as you selected the option.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure if Suzuki-sensei just didn’t  _know_  about the feature, or if he was banking on the students not having figured it out. Lucky enough for Iwaizumi though, the guy who had used the telescope before him, Oikawa, had somehow managed to turn the feature on and left it enabled for everyone in line after him.

At first, the way Oikawa had grinned at him as he left the small operating room had taken Iwaizumi aback for a moment, until he realized what Oikawa had done, and how much easier he had just made Iwaizumi’s life.

While Iwaizumi may not have been interested in the astronomy course, Oikawa Tooru sure as hell was.

Iwaizumi knew who he was even before he had seen the keener extraordinaire raise his hand to answer every question correctly – if Iwaizumi had to hear one more ‘You’re absolutely  _correct_ , Oikawa-kun!’ he was going to pop a nerve. It was strange, really: Iwaizumi would have never taken the star setter for the school’s Varsity boys volleyball team to be such a  _nerd_.

Admittedly, the first few times his enthusiasm had been cute, and Iwaizumi was ashamed to say he had sort of wished Oikawa would notice him. But no matter how early Iwaizumi got to class – one day he had arrived at 6 pm rather than 7 pm – Oikawa was always already at their pre-determined location for that week’s lecture, a gaggle of girls leaning off of his every word not far behind.

Soon, the enthusiasm went from being cute to downright  _infuriating_ , which had a lot more to do with the girls around Oikawa who wouldn’t stop  _giggling_  even when Oikawa wasn’t speaking, than Iwaizumi would have liked to admit.

Not that they even had a chance with him, which they all seemed to  _know_  but couldn’t quite comprehend.

Still, class continued even with Oikawa's fangirls, for a lack of a better explanation, making Iwaizumi wish he had never taken this class in the first place.

April turned into May and with the middle of the semester approaching, Suzuki-sensei had taken the liberty to introduce their mid-semester culminating project: extraterrestial life.

It took everything in Iwaizumi's power not to groan aloud at the overly scientific use of the word for  _aliens_ , as much as it took to not shout ‘Are you fucking serious?’ because what kind of a university taught  _hypothetical_  courses – of course ignoring the very existence of philosophy?

Iwaizumi was the odd one out of the group though, because as they trudged across the perimeter of the woods surrounding the school for that week’s lesson – looking for signs of the weak meteor shower, the June Bootids – he heard excited whispers from his classmates around him about how much they were looking forward to the prospect of discussing the possibility of alien life and whether they existed.

Fortunately, not everyone he heard was dead set on the idea that aliens  _did_  exist – he did hear some murmurs of disagreement – however that didn’t wash away the fact that these people were actually discussing it like it was a  _valid_  topic of discourse.

To make matters worse, Suzuki-sensei had made the project partnered work. Iwaizumi didn’t particularly like or dislike working in pairs or groups on projects, so long as everyone got the work done. He did however dread the anticipation of a partner in this course because he didn’t know anyone, not  _really_ , and the rest of his classmates were way more invested in this course than he was.

It made him feel slightly guilty for his future partner because even though Iwaizumi wasn’t a jerk and would put in the effort for his share of the work, actually liking the course always made people easier to work with.

That was, until Suzuki-sensei called his name as they were dismissed for the week.

“Iwaizumi-kun, if you wouldn’t mind staying behind for a few moments,” Suzuki-sensei asked, just as Iwaizumi slung his backpack over his shoulders.

His shoes had gotten muddy during that evening’s lecture. It had rained for the past two days, and the heavily soiled forest did not have the chance to dry up with the surprisingly drafty weather that had hit them at the end of May.

Despite the fact that his shoes were old, Iwaizumi didn’t want to drag around mud, especially inside his apartment lest his clean-freak roommate threatened to maul him in some way.

Suga was a generally kind and patient person; Iwaizumi liked him just fine – they  _were_  friends – but he was obsessive about keeping the apartment clean to the point where Iwaizumi wasn’t even allowed to use a mug without a coaster.

“Yes, sensei,” Iwaizumi acknowledged, dropping the dirty cloth he had used to wipe his shoes into the trashbin outside the doors to the astronomy building.

He watched the rest of the students file past him, talking to what Iwaizumi assumed were the partners they had already picked out, about the upcoming project. Iwaizumi tore his eyes away from the door to where Suzuki-sensei stood, joined by none other than Oikawa Tooru. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes but walked forward, giving Suzuki-sensei his full attention.

“You’re a good student,” the man acknowledged.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help when he blurted out, “I am?” because while grades were important to him, he didn’t think he had been trying particularly hard in this course. It was easy, but the best grades didn’t always constitute a ‘good student,’ in Iwaizumi's opinion.

Suzuki-sensei chuckled at Iwaizumi's stupor. He nodded his head in agreement. “You are,” he confirmed. “And as a result, I would like to ask you to pair up with Oikawa-kun for the upcoming project. Pardon me if this an assumption on my end, but you don’t talk to anyone in the class so I assumed you didn’t have a partner yet?”

He phrased it politely like a question, but Iwaizumi could tell it was more of a statement. Despite the fact that Suzuki-sensei hadn’t said anything rude or embarrassing, Iwaizumi's face flushed a deep crimson. It was like he was being called out – what for, even he wasn’t sure, but the way Oikawa's eyes sparkled in some sort of hidden secret just made Iwaizumi flush harder because  _someone else_  had noticed.

“Iwaizumi-kun?” Suzuki-sensei repeated.

Iwaizumi cleared his throat. He nodded his head slowly, eyes narrowing in an attempt to figure out what Oikawa was playing at.

He may not have had plenty of people lining up to be his partner but Oikawa sure did. Everyone in the class knew who he was and not only because of his fame on the volleyball team. He was generally well-liked by his peers so why he was going out of his way to seek out a partner that wasn’t anyone else in the class who would most likely sell a kidney for this chance was beyond Iwaizumi.

“Is that a yes that you don’t have a partner or that you’ll be mine?” Oikawa asked, voicing his say in the matter for the first time. Suzuki-sensei gave Oikawa an apprehensive look but he conceded to let Oikawa take over the conversation when he gave the teacher a reassuring smile.

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Suzuki-sensei laughed. “Have a good week, I’ll see you both next Wednesday,” he greeted, leaving with a short wave of his hand.

Suzuki-sensei was nice but just a tad bit too naïve. Iwaizumi may not have been able to say he knew Oikawa  _well_ , but he could at least tell that this whole ploy wasn’t as straightforward as what Oikawa must have made Suzuki-sensei believe.

“What do you want from me?” Iwaizumi asked bluntly the moment the door to the astronomy building closed behind Suzuki-sensei’s retreating figure.

Some of the yellow lights hanging around the school flickered, casting a momentary shadow to run across Oikawa's face. His smile slipped for a second but before Iwaizumi had the chance to feel guilty for being so rude, Oikawa's practiced mask was back in place, lips stretched wide across his face.

“You know, you should be honoured sensei thought about pairing us up,” he said coolly. “After all, I am getting the best grade in this class,” he added, as if Iwaizumi wouldn’t have known that from the way Oikawa answered all of Suzuki-sensei’s questions.

He scoffed at the proclamation. “Right, like that’s a big accomplishment. This class isn’t exactly difficult to master,” he rolled his eyes.

Oikawa pursed his lips, eyes moving to the side in an indication that he was thinking over his words carefully.

“I don’t really like to brag,” he started, narrowing his eyes at the small sound of disbelief that Iwaizumi couldn’t help but let out, “but I’m also at the top of my class in my major. Astrophysics if you were wondering, but I can see that working together is too repelling of an idea for you so I’m sorry that I even asked,” he turned his nose up.

Iwaizumi wanted to point out that technically  _he_  hadn’t asked Iwaizumi anything – that it was Suzuki-sensei who took the initiative but the look of genuine hurt that crossed Oikawa's face had Iwaizumi's stomach churning in guilt. He gave Oikawa the chance to walk only three steps before he called out, hand reaching for Oikawa's wrist reflexively.

He pulled back the moment Oikawa jolted to a stop, eyes widening.

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized gruffly.

What for, even he wasn’t sure. Oikawa seemed to think the same thing as his eyes narrowed further and his lips stretched thinner into a nonplussed expression.

“Yes, I’ll be your partner,” he sighed. Oikawa raised his eyebrows expectantly and Iwaizumi bit back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue. Oikawa was pushing his luck – the smug smile threatening to break through  _proved_  that he knew he was.

Iwaizumi clenched his fists, closed his eyes and breathed deeply before saying, “Will you be my partner for this project, Oikawa?”

“Say please,” Oikawa grinned.

“Forget it,” Iwaizumi deadpanned. No way was he begging. If Oikawa wanted him as a partner then  _Oikawa_  was the one who was going to have to beg.

“I’m joking!” Oikawa mended, sincere smile lighting up his features. Iwaizumi relaxed at the sight of his teeth flashing and eyes crinkling up into neat crescents. “Geez, you’re so stuffy. Although I guess rooming with Suga-chan will do that to a guy,” he waved off.

“You know Suga?” Iwaizumi furrowed his brows.

Of course Oikawa would; Suga’s boyfriend also played for the same team that Oikawa did. That made sense, yet it didn’t stop Iwaizumi from feeling a little too exposed with how much Oikawa knew about him.

Oikawa cocked his head, lips tilted in a lopsided smile at Iwaizumi's question. “Yes,” he answered eventually when he deemed that Iwaizumi wasn’t joking.

Iwaizumi couldn’t tell if he was imagining things, considering it was past 10 pm now and he had gotten maybe five hours of sleep the night before, but Oikawa looked almost  _jilted_  at having to answer Iwaizumi's question.

“Anyway, give me your number so we can figure out when we want to meet and what kind of evidence we should collect to prove that aliens exist,” Oikawa listed off excitedly, pulling his own phone out for Iwaizumi to take.

But Iwaizumi was too busy trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Oikawa just said ‘aliens exist’ to take the phone that was waved in his face.

“Hold on,” Iwaizumi said carefully, trying his best not to piss Oikawa off. “You’re telling me that you want to  _‘collect evidence’_  to prove that aliens  _exist_?” he said slowly.

This had to be some kind of joke, right? So what, Oikawa was smart; there was no way Iwaizumi could partner up with someone who believed aliens existed. Nope, it wasn’t happening. He wasn’t going to give a presentation and write a report on the existence of aliens because  _it wasn’t true_.

“Don’t tell me,” Oikawa frowned, putting a hand up to stop Iwaizumi from defending himself. “You’re a nonbeliever,  _oh my god_ ,” he wailed.

If Iwaizumi didn’t know better, he would have assumed Oikawa was genuinely in trouble by how  _offended_  he looked. The way Oikawa was glaring daggers at Iwaizumi though made him feel like maybe  _he_  was the one in trouble instead.

“You know you could just pick a new partner. You’ve got people lining up in spades,” Iwaizumi defended.

Oikawa shook his head firmly. He moved forward, clapped both hands on Iwaizumi's shoulder and said in a far too serious tone, “No way, I’m turning you towards the light. It was meant to be, Iwa-chan. We were  _destined_  to be partners. Your attitude just proves it.”

“First of all drop the nickname. Second, you’re going to have a hard time convincing me,” he scoffed.

“Wanna bet?” Oikawa asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

If Iwaizumi hadn’t grown accustomed to Oikawa's perky attitude over the past month in class, he could have been fooled into thinking this was all an act.

“You’re on,” Iwaizumi agreed, competitiveness kicking in before he could convince himself otherwise. He stuck a hand out for Oikawa to shake, which he did eagerly.

Prove that aliens don’t exist: no big deal.  _Easy_ , even.

Iwaizumi realized he should have asked Oikawa what exactly they were betting  _on_  before he walked off in the direction of his apartment, phone tucked into the pocket of his jeans, Oikawa's newly added contact information weighing it down in something akin to anticipation.

But it was too late and Iwaizumi's faults always lay in his ability to get through obstacles by pure force alone.

* * *

“Yo, Suga, I’m home,” Iwaizumi called, closing the door to his apartment behind him.

He slipped of his shoes and placed them neatly in a shopping bag before dropping them into the closet, along with his coat. He had wiped his shoes clean in the bathroom a second time, even after cleaning them once already before leaving campus, but knowing Sugawara, he’d be able to spot dirt that was a millimetre spec in diameter.

“Oh, you’re later than usual,” Suga’s face popped out from around the corner.

He was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a navy, volleyball t-shirt that was far too large for him around the shoulders. Iwaizumi concluded it was his boyfriend’s and not Suga’s, if the size and the fact that it read  _Chuo University_  across the front in white lettering was anything to go by.

“Yeah, I got caught up,” Iwaizumi shrugged.

“ _Oh_ ,” Suga asked, interest piqued. “Caught up by what, or  _whom_  should I ask?” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Iwaizumi flushed. Suga’s uncanny ability to detect the minor changes in composure was a little bit frightening. If it weren’t for the fact that Iwaizumi considered them as somewhat closer to being friends than just roommates, he’d have tried to move out by now. As if Sugawara’s need for everything to be clean and in its place wasn’t enough for Iwaizumi to want to move out.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked defensively.

He dropped his bag off next to the couch and pushed the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows as he looked at the dishes in the sink. Unfortunately for him, every two weeks, Iwaizumi's turn to wash the dishes fell on a Wednesday. No matter how tired he was, unless he wanted his roommate to throw a fit, Iwaizumi dutifully accepted his responsibility.

He  _was_  a clean person by nature; Suga just wasn’t human. Iwaizumi honestly didn’t know how Daichi put up with Suga’s need for everything to be a certain way. The man was either more in love than Iwaizumi could imagine, or he had a lot of patience… potentially a mix of both.

“You know what I mean. Did you get a hot date or what?” Suga pried, leaning his right elbow on the counter and his cheek in his palm, facing Iwaizumi with what he could only assume was one of his  _looks_ , since Iwaizumi was stubbornly keeping his face forward.

“Oh come on, you haven’t been on a date even  _once_  since I met you,” Suga complained when Iwaizumi didn’t give him a response. “You’re young and have a nice face and an even nicer body. I mean, I’m more of a legs guy myself but someone else would kill for your arms. Daichi agrees,” Suga added, as if  _that_  was supposed to convince Iwaizumi.

“Suga, shut up,” Iwaizumi grumbled, trying and failing to keep the flush rising in his face at bay.

Yeah, okay, he hadn’t been on a proper date since first year, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of getting a date. He just… didn’t  _want_  to date. No one was interesting or serious about a relationship. So sue him for being a little old school but he didn’t want to just fuck around for the sake of the ‘university experience.’

The people who  _were_  serious about a relationship were either his friends, already in a relationship, or just not Iwaizumi's type.

Suga had tried to ask him on multiple occasions what his type was, in an attempt to set him up but Iwaizumi couldn’t really say he had one. Every time Suga introduced him to someone, Iwaizumi's type would change to be the  _opposite_  of whomever Suga tried to set him up with. He didn’t need his roommate messing around with his personal life.

He had enough of that with his friends. Matsukawa and Hanamaki had been trying to set Iwaizumi up as well, much to his chagrin. He realized that if he just gave their attempts a chance, they would likely drop the subject but he was stubborn to a fault and persistent all on his own.

“Do you believe in aliens?” he asked Suga in an attempt to change the subject.

Suga gave him a disbelieving look before his face turned contemplative. “Aliens, huh?” he asked, more to himself than Iwaizumi. “I don’t know, I guess. I mean, it’s pretty arrogant of us to assume we’re the only life force out there in a place that’s immeasurable by distance,” he said honestly. “But if there were aliens, I think they’d find us too boring or too destructive to ever come in contact.”

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure if he should have been annoyed or shocked by the thoughtful answer. Honestly, he was feeling a little bit of both at the moment. He hated to admit it, but Suga’s answer… kind of made sense – logically, anyway.

But the idea of aliens was just so  _ridiculous_  and  _childish_. “But that’s like believing in Santa Claus,” Iwaizumi defended. “Obviously it’s too surreal to actually exist.”

“Hey,” Suga said, throwing his hands up in defense. “You asked me my opinion and I gave it to you. I’m not about to dive into rhetoric on the existence of aliens at 11:30 pm on a school night,” he shook his head with a laugh. “Or  _ever_ ,” he added as an afterthought.

Iwaizumi furrowed his brows. Was he the only person who was sane around here? Maybe he’d ask Matsukawa and Hanamaki their opinion. While they did have a penchant for odd humour, they could be logical and reasonable if they wanted to be…

Probably.

Iwaizumi's phone vibrated, breaking him out of his thoughts about his friends. He turned the tap water off and reached for the towel to dry his hands off before he could check his phone, but Suga was far quicker than he was. In an instant, he had fished out Iwaizumi's phone from his back pocket and hit the screen, the display lighting up with the arrival of a new text.

Thankfully, Iwaizumi had been conditioned by his snooping friends to make sure the messages stayed private until he unlocked his phone but the display name was something that he couldn’t hide.

“Oikawa, huh?” Suga asked. “No wonder you didn’t wanna tell me who kept you out late,” he hummed, tossing Iwaizumi his phone. “Seems like you’re pretty close.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he demanded.

Iwaizumi couldn’t be angry even if he wanted to be. At this point, he was regretting his decisions to ever involve himself with Oikawa. Only an hour of actually speaking to the guy and he was already at the forefront of Iwaizumi's troubles.

He scowled, nudging Suga with his shoulder just hard enough to jostle him but Suga took the action in stride, waving goodnight and retreating to his bedroom.

Iwaizumi looked down at his screen and didn’t even have to unlock his phone to know what Suga had meant by  _close_.

Really, Iwaizumi should have seen this coming with Oikawa's bubbly –  _annoying_  – attitude. Right at the top of all his other notifications was a message from  _‘Oikawa-kun (_ ｡♥‿♥｡ _)’_  much to Iwaizumi's chagrin.

“Goddammit!” he shouted.

He heard Suga’s laughter from his room echo against the walls at Iwaizumi's annoyance. Iwaizumi should have checked his phone after Oikawa had given it back to him, but how was he supposed to know that a perfect  _stranger_  was going to be so familiar with him? Didn’t this guy know anything about etiquette? 

He quickly put in the passcode, unlocking his phone to see what the hell it was that Oikawa wanted from him.

[Subject: aliens exist]  
**From: Oikawa-kun (** ｡ **♥** ‿ **♥** ｡ **)**  
>> Iwa-chan !!!  
>> look at this video  
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL1RsvR7F78  
>> tell me you don’t believe now I dare you !

Iwaizumi cursed and clicked on the link Oikawa had provided. What the hell, it was almost an hour long? No way. No fucking way. Iwaizumi had far better things to do with his time than watch a terribly edited video on the existence of aliens.

He clicked Oikawa's contact information, edited the name to ‘Shittykawa’ instead, took a screenshot of the change, and sent that image back to Oikawa as a response.

The flood of messages he received in protest was pretty amusing, even if Iwaizumi felt juvenile for laughing at Oikawa's distress. But if Oikawa was going to insist on giving him a stupid,  _childish_  nickname then he was going to have to deal with Iwaizumi's own nickname for him.

That night, when he tucked himself into bed after changing and brushing his teeth, Iwaizumi blamed it on the effects of a long day and a lack of functionality in his brain when he picked up his phone and clicked on the stupid link Oikawa had sent him once again. This time, he watched it all the way through instead of just checking the link and exiting out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! please leave me a comment or kudos if you liked this chapter ♡
> 
> next time:  
> \- Iwaizumi regrets staying up so late  
> \- his friends like to meddle
> 
> come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa)/[tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/) \- sometimes I post chapter previews ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I like the Friday update schedule so that's when it'll be from now on ^^

Staying up until 3 am, watching Oikawa's stupid alien documentary and getting side tracked by YouTube’s auto play feature had been a complete waste of time. The only thing Iwaizumi had gotten out of it was that planets existed in the universe where it was _possible_ to have alien life.

That meant absolutely nothing to him! There was no proof, no real evidence. If anything, knowing that those planets existed just meant that it was possible for human life to sustain itself elsewhere too, which he already knew because he wasn’t an ignorant asshole and actually paid attention to new, scientific discoveries.

“Iwaizumi,” Matsukawa nudged him for what was the tenth time in the past hour.

He was lucky he had a friend in his class that could keep him awake, even if he felt the strong urge to punch Matsukawa every time he jostled him. 

Going to bed at 3 am, then waking up at 7 am to rush to his 8 am lecture had not been a wise decision, especially considering his lack of sleep from the night before. Iwaizumi was regretting everything he had done in his life to get him to this point. Even downing two cups of coffee hadn’t done much for his alertness.

Frankly, he didn’t know how he had even made it to class on time, _or at all_.

“What?” Iwaizumi mumbled sleepily, squinting against the bright, fluorescent lights that lined the classroom.

The good thing about being in third year meant that the class sizes got smaller and the large lecture halls turned into smaller classrooms. The lecture halls were nicer, aesthetically speaking, with their shiny desks, swivelling chairs and multiple high definition projector screens and a speaker system so the sound from the lecturer travelled all the way to the back.

But, the seats were also levelled and the rooms were circular, which meant every student was visible from the lecturer’s vantage point on the podium at the front. The smaller classrooms meant that Iwaizumi could sit at the back and sleep through the lecture without being disturbed… most of the time.

“Iwaizumi-kun,” their professor said sternly. “I asked you a question,” he repeated when Iwaizumi only gave him a blank stare.

He felt Matsukawa nudge him again. Iwaizumi quickly glanced down at the notebook Matsukawa had slid closer to him, one word circled in red.

“Parasympathetic system,” Iwaizumi answered dully.

The class was silent. Iwaizumi didn’t even care if he got the answer wrong. At least if he got kicked out of the class he could spend the next thirty minutes sleeping outside while he waited for Matsukawa to be done. He would need to get proper notes from him later despite having attended the lecture _anyway_.

“That’s correct,” Shimoda-sensei pursed his lips. He gave Iwaizumi one look that just screamed murderous intent, but if he knew that Matsukawa had helped him out, he didn’t voice his opinion.

Iwaizumi supposed he should have been more wary of the fact that his professor was probably out for him. On the very first day of class, he had accidentally left his second alarm on, and it rang right as Shimoda-sensei had entered the classroom. In Iwaizumi's defense, it was _before_ the class was timed to start but that didn’t stop Shimoda-sensei’s scrutinizing eyes from landing on Iwaizumi's face and memorizing the details.

Since then, the man had been calling on Iwaizumi to answer questions almost every class. Iwaizumi had momentarily forgotten about his professor’s need to embarrass him or catch him off track that morning.

God, he just needed to get some rest.

It wasn’t even that he disliked the class. Human physiology 2 was a pretty neat course in itself, and Iwaizumi enjoyed the content, but the combination of Shimoda-sensei’s obnoxious personality and Iwaizumi’s general lack of sleep made today worse than it already was.

After Shimoda-sensei called on him, Iwaizumi would have liked to say that he did a better job of staying awake, but that was a downright lie. Either Shimoda-sensei took pity on him, or Iwaizumi just didn’t care to hear his complaints but the rest of the class passed with Iwaizumi laying his head against his arm and dozing in and out of slumber.

The next class passed by much the same and the one after that too, so by the time lunch rolled around, Iwaizumi should have been feeling better but he just felt groggier. Maybe all those ‘power naps’ hadn’t been such a fantastic idea.

“What’s wrong with him?” Hanamaki prodded Iwaizumi's arm with the back of his chopstick, jerking his head in Matsukawa’s direction.

“Beats me,” Matsukawa shrugged. “I tried asking him why he was so tired and he just told me to shut up,” he said, amused smile playing on the edge of his lips.

“I wonder if he got stood up,” Hanamaki hummed to himself, but Iwaizumi who was _right next to him_ could hear every word clearly.

“Nah,” Matsukawa shook his head. “He probably just got a bad grade on a test and stayed up late studying.”

“ _Way_ more believable,” Hanamaki agreed, scooping the last few pieces of rice from his bento into his mouth. Hanamaki always finished eating last between the three of them because he spent more time speaking than eating.

Iwaizumi hated it when his friends did shit like this. They talked about him like he wasn’t there, like he couldn’t understand that they were trying to tease him. Why was everyone suddenly on his case about his personal life? _So what_ if he was more likely to be upset about a bad grade than being stood up?

This was university for fuck’s sake. Isn’t that what they were here for in the first place?

He grumbled to himself, mumbling a few choice curse words under his breath, loud enough for his friends to understand his annoyance. Although, he had known Hanamaki and Matsukawa long enough to accept that a little bit of grumbling wasn’t going to deter their pestering.

“We have the same classes, you asshole,” Iwaizumi reminded Matsukawa. “You know we haven’t received any grades this week.”

“Not all,” he pointed out. “We’ve got a different elective.”

Iwaizumi's face soured at the mention of an elective.

“Ah, so that’s what’s bothering you,” Hanamaki concluded. “Alright, spill. Who is it, what is it, where is it, the list can go on. But you know, you’re not getting out of this until you tell us what’s got you so grouchy and by that, I mean grouchier than usual because we all know you’re only capable of smiling maybe once a month.”

Iwaizumi's mouth dropped open at his friend’s insistence. He was _not_ capable of _only_ smiling once a month. He smiled when he watched sports and his favourite team won, or when his friends told jokes that _weren’t_ at his expense. He _always_ smiled at the bus drivers on his way in and out to show his courtesy.

“He’s trying to make a list of when he smiles,” Matsukawa fake-whispered to Hanamaki.

“For fuck’s sake, will you guys just drop it? I was up doing research for my astronomy course. Happy?” he demanded.

Matsukawa raised his hands in defense while Hanamaki tilted his head, seemingly trying to decipher if Iwaizumi was telling the truth or not.

 _Technically_ , he _was_ telling the truth. Even if Oikawa's video had amounted to nothing but garbage, it was research… now at least he could confirm his own opinions further.

Just the thought of Oikawa had Iwaizumi's mouth curving down into a scowl. Oikawa and his stupid, happy face and his cute eyes and his soft hair – no, no, his _annoying_ face, his _obnoxious_ eyes, his _gaudy_ hair.

“If you don’t want to talk about it that badly, you can just say so. Stop making that face,” Hanamaki wrinkled his nose.

Iwaizumi sighed, resigned by his friends’ demeanour. They had known each other since high school and had all grown up in Tokyo, albeit not right in the heart of the prefecture. Kiyose was part of Western Tokyo, suburban and great for living in Tokyo without the hassle of city-commuters and industrialization.

The only reason Iwaizumi had stayed so close to home without actually being home was because his little sister had a hold on his heart and his grandparents were old enough that Iwaizumi sometimes worried about what would happen to Minako if he didn’t live so close while still being able to study.

She was seventeen, one year away from being in university herself, but Iwaizumi couldn’t get past her as that eleven-year old child whom he had to sit down with and explain that their parents weren’t coming back and that they were moving to Tokyo to live with their grandparents.

“Iwaizumi Hajime!”

Iwaizumi snapped his head up at the sound of an angry voice and a shadow falling over his front. The weather was nice enough that Iwaizumi, Matsukawa and Hanamaki had taken to eating outside on the grass. He frowned, eyes adjusting to the lack of sunlight for a few seconds until he noticed Oikawa's looming figure looking nothing short of angry.

“What?” he asked stupidly, standing up to face Oikawa.

Oikawa's mouth dropped open in shock. Iwaizumi concluded that he was the kind of person who had never been told ‘no’ in his life. Oikawa was athletic, good-looking, smart to boot. How anyone _wanted_ to say ‘no’ to a guy – a _face_ – like that would have come as a mystery to him, were it not for the fact that Iwaizumi had been subject to Oikawa's oddly straightforward and enthusiastic personality.

He didn’t look very enthusiastic _right now_ though. In fact, he looked pretty pissed and the anger seemed to be directed at Iwaizumi.

“Iwaizumi, you sly dog,” Hanamaki whistled. “No wonder you didn’t want to tell us what’s gotten you all grumpy today,” he laughed. “You’re seeing someone in secret, huh?” he looked up at Oikawa before he placed his hands on the grass and stood up.

“ _What_ – we’re not – that’s – what did you tell your friends?” Oikawa accused Iwaizumi, face flushed a deep crimson.

“I didn’t–”

Iwaizumi was cut off by Hanamaki speaking to Oikawa. “Oi, aren’t you the setter for the Varsity volleyball team?”

Oikawa relaxed at the question, face adopting a smile in a matter of seconds. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but be suspicious of how easy it was for him to change his comportment. One moment, he looked like he was going to bite Iwaizumi's head off and the next he was all smiles and polite speech.

“Yes,” he nodded. “Oikawa Tooru,” he introduced.

“Sweet, I knew you looked familiar,” Hanamaki smiled. “I’m Hanamaki and this is Matsukawa. You’re pretty good. We went to a game once and you pretty much blew the other team out of the water,” he complimented. “You’ve got a lot of fans, huh?”

Oikawa beamed proudly, previous anger replaced by a pink tinge of embarrassment. It suited him, but the thought was fleeting as Iwaizumi halted it prematurely.

“Do any of you play?” he asked, taking in Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s – who had stood up to join Iwaizumi – height.

“Nah,” Matsukawa laughed. “Baseball was where all the kids wanted to be in our high school. Iwaizumi was the captain,” he smiled in Iwaizumi's direction.

Oikawa perked up at that. “What position did you play?” he asked, intrigued.

“I played shortstop, Matsukawa was a second baseman and Iwaizumi was at first,” Hanamaki pointed between them, recalling their positions from high school.

“That sucks,” Oikawa hummed thoughtfully. “Iwa-chan’s always stuck on first base,” he elaborated at the quizzical looks.

It _wasn’t_ funny, yet Matsukawa and Hanamaki laughed at Oikawa's stupid joke, egging him on. If Iwaizumi had a five yen coin for every time he heard base related jokes thanks to his sport of choice, he would have been rich by now.

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes, baffled by the exchange occurring between his friends and Oikawa. This was… friendly, and it made him feel uncomfortable, if only because he had already picked up on Oikawa's joking personality and mixed with the force that he called his best friends, nothing good could come of it for Iwaizumi.

“Is there a reason you interrupted my lunch? How’d you know where I was, anyway?” Iwaizumi asked, cutting the budding conversation between Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Oikawa short.

Oikawa startled at being addressed. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but wonder if the way his eyes widened in shock every time Iwaizumi said something remotely aggressive to him was just a show, or if he was really jarred by the action.

“Right,” he cleared his throat. “You haven’t replied to any of my messages, even though I can _see_ that you read them. There’s a little notification at the bottom of each text that says ‘read,’ _Iwa-chan_ ,” Oikawa scolded, face flushing deeper with every word.

He either didn’t care about public humiliation or he was just good at ignoring everyone around him because Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s snickers – probably at Oikawa's choice of nickname for Iwaizumi – didn’t deter him.

He should have just responded to Oikawa's messages last night. Why the hell the asshole was up was unimportant. Iwaizumi had just wanted to be stubborn, even as he moved away from the original video that Oikawa had sent and watched different ones detailing ‘alien interaction.’

With the way he had been feeling sleep-deprived that morning however, it was safe to say that Iwaizumi had completely forgotten about Oikawa's long chain of texts that he had left on read.

“It was late, and your messages were...” he wanted to say annoying but he knew that was a little too mean, even for him, “unimportant.”

Okay, what the fuck? That was _way_ worse than just calling Oikawa's texts annoying. And he didn't even mean that. Oikawa was irritating because he was so persistent but it was also endearing and the _last_ thing he was was unimportant. Iwaizumi was an idiot and a huge jerk.

Oikawa's face stilled, and the laughter around them died down. Hanamaki nudged Matsukawa quickly and they both picked up their bags and left Iwaizumi to reap the burns of his actions alone.

 _Traitors_ , a part of his mind supplied as he watched his friends bail on him.

 _Asshole_ , another part reminded him of what he had just said to Oikawa.

“Okay,” Oikawa said, voice suddenly small and losing his earlier belligerence. “This wasn’t going to work, anyway. You should find a new partner,” Oikawa said coldly, adjusting the strap of his school bag over his right shoulder. 

Iwaizumi was used to not being the tallest person in the room. Having been friends with Hanamaki and Matsukawa for going on six years had conditioned him into accepting that he wasn’t going to be the tallest person in a group.

With Oikawa, however, Iwaizumi felt small for completely irrelevant reasons. He had hurt him and that much was obvious from Oikawa's tone of voice. Iwaizumi didn’t know why Oikawa was so insistent that they partner up for this project, but for some reason, it meant a lot to him, and Iwaizumi had always been weak to a guilty conscience.

“That’s not what I want,” Iwaizumi said suddenly. “We made a bet, remember? You try to convince me aliens exist and I maintain my claim,” he reminded, smile falling off his face when Oikawa didn’t budge from his stoic expression.

“Oikawa, I’m sorry,” he apologized, dropping the pretence. “That was mean, and you didn’t deserve it. You’re not unimportant. You’re my partner and I’ve agreed to do this project with you so it’s my responsibility to at least answer your messages,” he said sincerely.

“Partners,” Oikawa repeated, turning the word over in his mouth. “ _Responsibility_ ,” he said, quoting Iwaizumi further. If Iwaizumi didn’t know any better, it felt like Oikawa disliked the sound of it. “ _That’s_ why you want to answer my texts?” he repeated.

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?” Was his statement earlier not clear? Did he say the wrong thing again?

“You’re really dumb,” Oikawa stated sadly. “But alright, that’s a good enough apology for now. We should meet up soon to discuss how we’re going to present this project. I sent you my schedule, but you’d know that if you checked your phone,” Oikawa said smartly, changing the subject in a flash.

He didn’t wait for Iwaizumi to respond. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked off, back towards the campus buildings. Iwaizumi was so stunned by his departure that he didn’t notice Oikawa was gone until he felt someone tap his shoulder, which turned out to be Hanamaki, with Matsukawa not far behind.

Of course they had been close enough to eavesdrop… or at least _watch_.

Iwaizumi slid his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it found and his and Oikawa's chat. Well, at this point it was only Oikawa's messages. Iwaizumi felt guiltier looking at it. Since when had he become so jaded? Since when had he become such an asshole and to strangers, no less?

“Class starts soon,” Hanamaki tapped the watch on his wrist in indication.

Iwaizumi nodded, slipping his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. He packed his lunch away, dusted the dirt off his school bag and slung it over his shoulders. He and Matsukawa didn’t have class for another hour, so they walked Hanamaki to the computer science building.

“He likes you,” Hanamaki said, right before he opened the door to his class.

Iwaizumi and Matsukawa had class in the next building over, but the mathematics buildings were so much nicer built than the health science ones. The computer science one in particular had an entire floor filled with armchairs, desks, outlets and a floor to ceiling glass window that overlooked the campus. Technically, only computer science students were allowed to study there but one really cared _or_ asked.

“Huh? Who?” Iwaizumi asked.

“ _Oikawa_ ,” Hanamaki shook his head. “Seriously? Are we really friends with someone so dumb? Mattsun, please beat some sense into him,” Hanamaki sighed, banging his head against the open door frame.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “No way, Oikawa's just... _Oikawa_ ,” he said, by way of explanation.

“Sure,” Hanamaki rolled his eyes. “Don’t trust me then. Keep living in your oblivious ways and stay grumpy and miserable forever,” he stated ominously.

Iwaizumi rubbed his temples, waiting for Hanamaki to walk into his classroom before he stalked off. Oikawa _liked_ him? That sounded farfetched.

“Do you believe him?” Iwaizumi jerked a thumb back to where Hanamaki had just been.

“Honestly?” Matsukawa asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets in the way he did when he got sheepish. Iwaizumi nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think he does.”

Iwaizumi frowned. Oikawa could date just about any person he could want so _why_ he would like someone like Iwaizumi was beyond him. Like Suga had said last night, Iwaizumi did have his strong points. He knew he wasn’t bad looking, but Oikawa was on a whole different level.

He was loved by practically the entire school; he was the star setter of the volleyball team after all. He was smart and bright and _definitely_ way out of Iwaizumi's league. Iwaizumi wasn’t blind: he knew Oikawa was attractive, _had_ known it the moment he had first seen the other man.

“You met him for maybe five minutes,” Iwaizumi reminded.

He wanted to stop talking about it, but for some reason, he couldn’t shake the hope that maybe Oikawa _did_ like him, which was stupid because he obviously didn’t. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were probably just in on some kind of joke. Suga too.

“Yeah, and he tried real hard to get to know Makki and I. You know, the whole getting to know your crush’s friends to get closer to them thing?” Matsukawa laughed. “You’re hopeless, Iwa-chan,” he smirked, ignoring Iwaizumi's protests to stop calling him that.

He shoved Matsukawa’s shoulder with his own, rolling his eyes at the amused expression that remained on his friend’s face throughout their entire study break and for the rest of the day.

Iwaizumi tried to ignore the thoughts that wracked his brain the rest of the afternoon, thumb hovering over Oikawa's contact name every time he so much as drifted off.

Eventually, he pulled out his phone on his way home from school. Hanamaki and Matsukawa had gone off to a movie, claiming that Iwaizumi third-wheeled them often enough. It was weird for the first few weeks that they started dating back in their last year of high school, but they kept the touching to themselves around Iwaizumi; after all, the three of them had been friends for far too long for their dynamics to change.

When they had gone off to university, Iwaizumi had felt guilty for always intruding on what could have been his friends’ alone time, but they insisted that he was fine. After all, Hanamaki and Matsukawa had started rooming together after their first year and Iwaizumi knew they definitely took advantage of the single room.

[Subject: astronomy project]  
**To: Shittykawa**  
>> what are you doing tonight?

Oikawa had sent Iwaizumi his entire class and practice schedule. While Iwaizumi hadn’t seen anything scheduled for Thursday night, he didn’t want to assume.

[Subject: astronomy project]  
**From: Shittykawa**  
>> nothing !  
>> wanna come over ?  
>> my roommates are going out so they won’t bother us  
>> and I have a ton of alien documentaries I want to show you (*^▽^*)

From the way Oikawa was answering his messages, Iwaizumi would never have thought that he was mad at Iwaizumi only a few hours earlier. His ability to skip from one emotion to another was remarkable, if entirely unnerving.

When he had asked Oikawa if he was busy tonight, Iwaizumi hadn’t actually been expecting a response so fast, and a positive one at that. He also hadn’t been expecting Oikawa to invite him over to his place.

Maybe he hadn’t thought this out so well…

Iwaizumi shook his head. He had let Hanamaki and Matsukawa get a hold of his thoughts and his emotions. Oikawa was his project partner. That was it. He would meet up with anyone he worked on a project with and Oikawa should have been no different. Iwaizumi was being nervous for no reason.

He sent Oikawa back a confirmation and Oikawa replied with the address to his place.

Unsurprisingly, he lived in the school dorm. Not all of the athletes did, but Iwaizumi knew that the scholarship athletes _definitely_ got a place reserved for them. He didn’t know why he was surprised by Oikawa's constant revelations. After all, everyone knew how good of an athlete Oikawa was, but something about being in his presence made Iwaizumi feel _inferior_.

“Where are you going?” Suga asked, the moment Iwaizumi had walked out of his room with his backpack strapped behind his shoulder.

“Out,” Iwaizumi replied dutifully. He kicked on his shoes, foregoing the jacket because it really wasn’t all that cold outside. 

Suga made a small sound of protest. Iwaizumi didn’t realize he had his boyfriend over until he looked up to grab his keys off the key mount on the wall and noticed Daichi’s smiling face. For some reason, the thought of Daichi reminded Iwaizumi of Oikawa and an unnecessary need to be bashful overtook him.

“Study date?” Suga pressed.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m not interested in dating anyone,” Iwaizumi muttered, angrily stuffing his keys into his pocket along with his phone. If Suga was home, he could lock the door himself.

“Leave him alone, Suga,” Daichi said calmly. “Hello, Iwaizumi.” He gave Iwaizumi a wave and Iwaizumi responded back with a cursory nod and a greeting of his own.

“Have fun on your date!” Suga called out, just as he closed the door behind him.

Iwaizumi begrudgingly pulled out his keys to lock the door despite telling himself that he wouldn’t. His sense of responsibility ran too deep; it had been ingrained into him for the past six years and he wasn’t going to let his petty thoughts stop him from doing what he knew was right.

After all, if the apartment got broken into and Suga ended up getting hurt, Iwaizumi would feel guilty forever. Not to mention all the lost possessions.

He checked his phone to make sure he was heading in the right direction. The dorms on campus were split up, with the athletic dorms closer to the gym. Iwaizumi had never been to this part of the school since he never had a reason to go beyond the gym. Suga liked to invite him out to team parties whenever Daichi extended the invitation but Iwaizumi didn’t see the appeal in getting drunk and too personal with people he frankly didn’t want to see again.

Hanamaki told him he was being too picky, Matsukawa claimed he was an old soul at heart. Iwaizumi just thought he had good sense, but hey, he wasn’t going to judge his peers for what they liked to do.

At least, he wasn’t going to judge them where they could hear him.

He briefly wondered if Oikawa was the kind of person who went out often. He definitely fit the stereotype, but then again, he also fit the jock stereotype and Iwaizumi knew how much of a nerd Oikawa was without even really knowing him for long.

Iwaizumi was plagued by thoughts of Oikawa the entire walk between his apartment and Oikawa's dorm. Whether he was just putting on an act about aliens or if he really believed in them, whether he would have gone out with his roommates had Iwaizumi not asked him if he was busy tonight, whether he really did like Iwaizumi and _why_ at that. Honestly, Iwaizumi should have been embarrassed by thoughts but he wasn’t.

He hated to admit it, but he kind of liked Oikawa against all odds, and if Oikawa ended up liking him then well, maybe that’d shut up all his nosy friends and make him happy too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! Iwaizumi got super nervous (even tho he still doesn't get why) in front of Oikawa and said the wrong thing but he definitely apologizes and makes it up to Oikawa later, promise!
> 
> next time:  
> \- (unexpectedly) meeting Oikawa's roommates  
> \- Oikawa Tooru is not as cool as everyone thinks he is
> 
> kudos/comments are always appreciated ♡  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa)/[tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the support so far! c:

It took Iwaizumi fifteen minutes to walk from his apartment to Oikawa's dorm. He was lucky enough to live a walking distance to the school in an apartment that was decently priced, albeit because of the lack of furnishing on the inside. He was even luckier to live close to the gym as well. 

While most people were out late partying, that was Iwaizumi's preferred time to work out. The gym was less busy at night, and only the people who knew what they were doing came in at that hour. He didn’t have to wait to use equipment, didn’t have to feel the need to step in and stop someone from hurting themselves because they couldn’t hold the right position, and most of all, he didn’t have to deal with the obnoxiously loud pop music that played on the overhead speakers in the morning.

The guy who managed the gym at night was far more relaxed and laid back than the peppy manager from the morning, and he often let Iwaizumi plug his phone to the speakers and play his own music.

But there was no going to the gym tonight, Iwaizumi reminded himself as he walked past the entrance to the complex. It made him oddly _nervous_ , but he couldn’t explain the source of his jittery behaviour so he promptly shoved that thought aside.

When Iwaizumi was outside Oikawa's dorm building, he texted his partner that he was waiting by the front door. The security around the place was insane, with all the passcode locks and card readers.

Iwaizumi was intimidated just _looking_ at it. His building barely had a working security camera and a key to the front door, which opened without the need to unlock it if you pulled just right. But Oikawa's apartment was nothing like the typical student apartment he lived in. It was _nice_ , further proving Oikawa's status as an important figure for the school.

All the nervousness that had been building up inside Iwaizumi at the thought of seeing Oikawa again, so soon after he had been distant and aloof with him, vanished the moment Oikawa's smiling face came into view. It was only 7 pm but he was already dressed in a pair of sweats and t-shirt with a cat – a _pusheen_ – lying on its back and the words ‘so lazy can’t move’ printed around it.

He also had on a pair of glasses that made him look a lot nerdier than the image he exuded; at least until he spoke, at which point his nerdiness was quite obvious. Iwaizumi had to mentally chide himself from thinking inappropriate thoughts about Oikawa and his glasses because _what the fuck_ they were just an accessory, and one that he _needed_ … probably.

Instead, he laughed awkwardly and said, “Nice shirt,” by way of greeting.

Whether Oikawa thought it was a genuine compliment or he was deciding to ignore Iwaizumi's perceived cynicism, he couldn’t be sure. Even Iwaizumi wasn’t a hundred percent sold on his desired tone. Oikawa only grinned, looking down at the t-shirt in question.

“Kuroo got it for me for my birthday last year,” he chuckled. “He’s one of my roommates. The other one is Bokuto, I don’t know if you know them but they’re out, otherwise I’d have introduced you to them,” he said, falling into conversation.

It was easy to let Oikawa talk. He had enough to say and didn’t mind Iwaizumi's quietness. He didn’t show any abrasion to it, at any rate. He led Iwaizumi up the stairs to the second floor, unlocking the apartment closest to the stairwell. It was spacious – or as spacious a dorm room could be. Iwaizumi could see that Chuo valued their athletics as much as they valued their academics.

“Were you going out too?” Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself.

“Nah, I don’t really like to drink when we’ve got morning practice. It makes sneaking out of someone’s place really embarrassing and also difficult. I’ve got to come back here to grab my stuff and people always get so pushy when you say you’ve got to run, like it’s an excuse or something. I’d see you again if you weren’t so annoying or suspicious you know,” Oikawa ranted, speaking to some invisible person half way through his explanation.

Iwaizumi had zoned out after the ‘sneaking out of someone’s place’ bit. So maybe he was a little jealous; at least this proved Hanamaki and Matsukawa wrong. Oikawa wouldn’t be so open about his relationships – or lack thereof – with Iwaizumi if he liked him… right?

“What about when you’ve got to kick people out?” Iwaizumi asked despite himself.

Oikawa cocked his head curiously, a sight that was far too cute on a six-foot tall athlete but Iwaizumi couldn’t help the thought from occurring.

“Not going to happen,” Oikawa denied. “I live with two roommates,” he said brusquely.

Iwaizumi chuckled. “Don’t tell me, you’re one of those guys that never invites girls to their place because you’re afraid of some kind of commitment.”

This was going _way_ off topic, but technically, Oikawa had started it. Iwaizumi was just hedging for information because… well okay, his interest had been piqued.

“Who said anything about liking girls?” Oikawa quipped.

The look he gave Iwaizumi said that he knew Iwaizumi already knew that. Oikawa's sexual orientation was none of his business, but it was also something just about anyone who knew even his name was privy to. Oikawa being gay was the first thing people said when they mentioned his name. The second thing was that he was the school’s star setter. Iwaizumi kind of felt bad for conforming to that group, especially because his personal choices shouldn’t matter to anyone that wasn’t _Oikawa_ yet he couldn’t help that the curiosity had gotten the best of him.

For reasons that were _not_ personal. He was simply _curious_.

“Same,” he offered in apology.

“What?” Oikawa asked, amused by Iwaizumi's embarrassment.

“I said ‘same’ to the girls remark,” he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

Thankfully, Oikawa didn’t comment, but at the same time, he also _didn’t comment_.

Dammit, why had Hanamaki and Matsukawa made Iwaizumi think about Oikawa and crushes? Now _he_ was well on his way to liking someone who was out of his league and also not interested in him. That made for the worst kind of combination. He felt like he was back in high school, still trying to figure out what liking someone really meant.

“Want something to drink? Water, tea, juice?” Oikawa asked, changing the subject.

Iwaizumi shook his head. He looked at the house slippers that were laid out near the door. Oikawa had slipped his feet into a pair with bears sewed at the top. He saw two more with designs: a black cat and a white owl, which he assumed belonged to Oikawa's roommates. Iwaizumi slipped on the pair that was plain grey.

There was a lot he could tell about Oikawa's relationship with his roommates, just from the first few seconds of being in his apartment. There were pictures hung up on the wall near the television in the living room: a sign that Oikawa spent a lot of time with his roommates and enjoyed their company. The matching house slippers also added to Iwaizumi's conclusion that they were close.

The living room itself was as clean as one could expect of university students. There was a throw draped over the couch – one half of it at least. The other half was trailing on the floor, which at least _looked_ clean enough that Iwaizumi didn’t shudder at the idea of the fabric touching the ground. Suga was really getting to him.

Oikawa had disappeared off into the kitchen without giving Iwaizumi a sign to follow. Still, he was given the choice between standing around in the genkan like a dumbass, making himself comfortable on the couch, or following Oikawa into the kitchen.

He decided that the last option was his safest bet.

“You sure you don’t want anything to drink? I’m making tea for myself,” he asked again.

Iwaizumi had a feeling that Oikawa would just keep asking until he agreed so he nodded his head. “Sure.” Tea was fine.

“What about something to eat?” he asked.

“I had dinner, don’t worry about me,” Iwaizumi promised. “Are you sure I didn’t disturb your plans?” Iwaizumi asked nervously.

He felt bad enough about being a dick to Oikawa that afternoon _and_ for ignoring him last night. If he had ruined some kind of plans because Oikawa thought that this was the only time Iwaizumi would be willing to meet him, he would feel extremely guilty. He hadn’t meant to come off as such an aggressive jerk, although he couldn’t help but feel like that was exactly the kind of impression Iwaizumi had unwittingly given Oikawa.

“Honestly,” Oikawa laughed embarrassedly. “I was going to watch re-runs of _The X-Files_ and eat junk food. We get one cheat day a month otherwise the head coach would hand our asses to us,” he shuddered.

Iwaizumi imagined it wasn’t easy being a Varsity athlete. From what he could tell though, Oikawa was doing a great job at keeping his body in top condition. Even fully clothed, Iwaizumi wasn’t unaware of Oikawa's strong build. He carried himself tall and proud, teasing ever so slightly of the muscle underneath.

“What’s _The X-Files_?” he asked quickly, before Oikawa could call him out for turning red.

Oikawa looked appalled at Iwaizumi's ignorance. “Are you kidding me? Okay, screw the project. Actually wait, this can be a part of the project. Today will be a recon day. We’re watching _The X-Files_ ,” he concluded.

Iwaizumi had no idea what that meant but he nodded, much to Oikawa's excitement. He absentmindedly listened to Oikawa explain the premise of the TV show, barely paying attention but remembering to nod every once in a while lest Oikawa believed Iwaizumi was ignoring him.

In reality, Iwaizumi was doing the complete opposite. Oikawa was an enigma. He didn’t hide his personality, but he also wasn’t entirely open about it. Iwaizumi was unwittingly drawn in by his charismatic nature. Even when Oikawa was excitedly going on about things that were highly unlikely to occur.

Somewhere between the wild rambling and the start of the episode Oikawa had chosen for them to watch, Iwaizumi found himself sitting on the edge of the couch with a cup of tea in his hand and a bowl of crackers in the middle seat, between him and Oikawa.

Iwaizumi was grateful for the separation. His eyes kept darting at how excited Oikawa looked, even though he was quoting every single line – an indication that he had watched this episode many times before. Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what was even happening on the television screen. He was far more focused on the person whose company he had unexpectedly come into that night.

[Subject: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]  
**From: Makki**  
>> a little bird told me you’re hanging out with Oikawa  
>> or should I say  
>> ~hanging~

Iwaizumi cursed inwardly, reading the message that popped up across his phone screen. Of course Suga had messaged his friends. Even with his boyfriend _right there_ , Suga thought it would be more amusing to let everyone in on Iwaizumi's every move.

This pretty much confirmed to him that his best friends and his roommate were in on some sort of plot. Iwaizumi didn’t know what he had done to make them come after him like that but he was fairly certain he had been a decent friend and roommate. As far as he was concerned, he was ready for payback.

Iwaizumi stuffed the phone back into the pocket of his jeans, a little too loudly. Oikawa tore his gaze away from the television screen and cocked his head curiously in Iwaizumi's direction.

Oikawa _really_ needed to stop making that adorable face. It wasn’t fair – wasn’t _possible_ – for him to keep looking like that.

“You don’t like this?” he asked, face trying its best to remain impassive. Oikawa was good at hiding his emotions, but Iwaizumi had always been good at picking up on other people’s distress. He saw the unintentional quiver in Oikawa's lip; it was there for only a moment but that was all Iwaizumi needed to understand.

“No, it’s nice,” he insisted.

“What are the names of the main characters?” Oikawa challenged, pressing pause so the picture on the television stopped moving.

Iwaizumi gulped. Oikawa had got him there. He hadn’t been paying attention to know that – but _not_ because he didn’t like _The X-Files_. He actually had no opinion on the show because he hadn’t seen enough to form one because he had been too busy observing Oikawa. That sounded creepy and Iwaizumi felt stupid for ever having done that.

The way Oikawa's eyes narrowed and his pupils darkened made Iwaizumi realize that his partner was not going to be so forgiving of his explanation.

“Uh…” he trailed off stupidly.

So maybe he hadn’t been paying as much attention as he could have, but the show was also in English and the subtitles were kind of small and hard to read, especially because Iwaizumi's sleep-deprived brain kept muddling up the words. It was much easier to focus on Oikawa's expressive face.

Oikawa moved his thumb closer to the top of the remote to turn the television off, looking more upset than pissed, which should have made Iwaizumi feel relieved but rather, the look caused him more distress. How he was managing to offend Oikawa with every interaction they had was astounding, if entirely in a negative way.

“Wait, don’t turn it off! I want to watch it,” Iwaizumi amended, but Oikawa was stubborn and he ignored Iwaizumi's pleas.

Iwaizumi had never been one to admit defeat so easily. He stood up on his knees and reached over the couch, the bowl of crackers spilling to the ground in the process. He had half a mind to apologize and pick them up, but he knew Oikawa wasn’t going to wait for him, so he encircled Oikawa's wrist and stretched the arm holding the remote out until his thumb no longer hovered near the power button.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa stuttered. “What are you doing?” he frowned, glasses falling askew from Iwaizumi's weight forcing his head back slightly.

“Don’t turn it off,” Iwaizumi said by way of explanation.

Oikawa spluttered for a few more seconds, trying and failing to come up with a proper response. Iwaizumi waited patiently for him to argue, ready to counter any comeback that Oikawa could prepare.

But neither of them was given the chance to butt heads any further.

“ _Whoa_ ,” an unexpected voice broke Iwaizumi away from his unintentional staring match with Oikawa.

“Dude, why didn’t you tell us you were having someone over?” a second voice added.

“ _Shut up_!” Oikawa cried, face flushed in embarrassment. He craned his neck out from under Iwaizumi to shoot the people behind him a glare.

Iwaizumi turned his head and saw two, familiar figures standing in the doorway, looking both amused and entirely unimpressed, if that was even possible. From the photographs Iwaizumi had seen on the walls of the living room, he didn’t have to guess to know that these were Oikawa's roommates.

He turned his head back to Oikawa who was turning redder by the second. The look on Oikawa's face combined with the registration of what Oikawa's roommates had just said had Iwaizumi scrambling to get off him.

In his attempt to prevent Oikawa from stubbornly turning the television off because he thought that Iwaizumi wasn’t interested in the show, Iwaizumi hadn’t realized just _what_ their compromising position looked like from an outside perspective.

With one hand on the couch cushion next to Oikawa's hip holding his own body up and the other gripped around Oikawa's wrist, Iwaizumi supposed they did look a bit suspicious. Especially because his knees had found their way to either side of Oikawa's legs and Oikawa was staring up at him from underneath, head thrown back over the arm of the couch.

He didn’t think that saying ‘It’s not what it looks like’ would do them any good, so he was both grateful and humiliated when Oikawa didn’t say those words either.

“What are you doing back here? I thought you went out for the night?” Oikawa frowned, putting the remote on the ground and smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt.

He adjusted his glasses and Iwaizumi had to restrain himself from reaching out and tucking a piece of hair that was sticking out from the action behind his ear.

“Well, we got all the way to the club when Kuroo realized he forgot his wallet,” the guy who Iwaizumi assumed was Bokuto, if he remembered what Oikawa had called his roommates earlier correctly, said. “So now we’re probably just going to hit the bar down the block because it’ll take too long to go back.”

Oikawa grunted in acknowledgement and annoyance.

“I’d ask if you wanted to come but I see you’re busy,” the taller of the two, Kuroo, said.

His tone of voice was eerie, and he was shooting Iwaizumi a look that was more assertive than it was friendly.

“Just grab your wallet and leave,” Oikawa muttered.

Iwaizumi didn’t blame him for not making introductions. Despite the fact that Oikawa had told him earlier that he would have introduced Iwaizumi to his roommates had they been in the apartment, this meeting gave Iwaizumi a feeling that Oikawa's roommates didn’t like him. At least, Kuroo didn’t appear to like him, which was strange because as far as Iwaizumi knew, he hadn’t done anything to garner the man’s apprehension.

Iwaizumi watched as Bokuto pushed Kuroo down the hall that led to their rooms even though it looked like Kuroo wanted to argue. Iwaizumi turned to look at Oikawa sheepishly, but the other man turned his face away, refusing to meet Iwaizumi's gaze.

He tried his best not to feel awkward but the longer Kuroo and Bokuto took to get Kuroo's wallet and leave, the more Iwaizumi's embarrassment built.

What seemed like an hour later, but was probably closer to two minutes, Oikawa's roommates emerged into the living room. “See ya!” Bokuto waved, pulling his shoes on.

“Nice putting a face to a name, Iwaizumi,” Kuroo said, closing the door behind him.

Iwaizumi shot Oikawa a quizzical look. A face to a name? That would imply that Kuroo had heard his name before and since Iwaizumi didn’t know Bokuto, the only other person that could have mentioned him would be Oikawa… or maybe Daichi but that didn’t make any sense.

Still, Iwaizumi didn’t think it was the appropriate thing to ask Oikawa, especially not now when Oikawa looked more pissed than he had ever looked before.

“I’m sorry!” Iwaizumi blurted out, getting off the couch to pick up the bowl and the crackers that had fallen down a few minutes ago.

“It’s fine,” Oikawa said stiffly.

His indifference had the guilt that was already pooling in Iwaizumi's stomach double in size. He put the bowl on the coffee table and sat back down on the couch, head turned towards Oikawa, who now upon closer inspection looked upset rather than angry.

Iwaizumi could deal with anger. Having a teenage sister meant he dealt with a _lot_ of moody fits and was on the receiving end of many of Minako’s tantrums. But _upset_ was something he had a lot more difficulty dealing with. Anger just meant listening to a lot of curse words and angry insults, and sometimes a few plushies thrown in his direction.

It was completely different from when people were upset: that required careful words and _knowing_ what made them upset in the first place.

Having barely known Oikawa, Iwaizumi couldn’t say he would be much good at dealing with an upset Oikawa, especially because he had the sinking feeling that _he_ was the root of Oikawa's current mood.

“I know it’s not an excuse, but I didn’t get much sleep last night because I was watching the video you sent and a few others related to it. I _want_ to watch _The X-Files_ but the subtitles are kind of difficult to read right now,” he apologized.

It was part of the truth, but he didn’t think telling Oikawa the rest was going to do him any good in this situation. Oikawa frowned at Iwaizumi's explanation and Iwaizumi assumed he was going to have to come up with something better until Oikawa spoke again, relieving some of his pent up tension.

“Stupid, Iwa-chan,” he chided. “You didn’t have to come over if you were tired,” he pursed his lips.

He looked kind of happy, despite having scolded Iwaizumi. Oikawa sounded like he just wanted to _hang out_ , even though Iwaizumi would never have taken him for someone who didn’t have friends that would drop their plans for him. Having just accidentally run into Oikawa's roommates was proof enough that Oikawa could have been doing _anything else_ , but here he was, entertaining Iwaizumi's idea to ‘work on’ their project.

“It’s fine,” Iwaizumi waved off. Oikawa raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. “I wanted to,” he amended.

Iwaizumi realized that it really wasn’t a lie. He did want to come over, albeit his initial reason being to work on their project. But he realized that a part of him just wanted to show Oikawa that he wasn’t the jackass Iwaizumi had made himself to be.

Oikawa's lips twitched into a larger smile but the look was fleeting. He nodded his head and picked up the remote he had put on the ground, pressing a button to eject the DVD he had put in.

“What the fuck, Oikawa?” Iwaizumi demanded, slightly angry that Oikawa _still_ didn’t believe him. He wasn’t that much of a jerk, yet Oikawa seemed to believe that he was.

“You said you were tired,” Oikawa reminded.

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi asked more than answered, the irritation in his voice unmasked.

“We’ll watch something else that doesn’t have subtitles. What about _Star Wars_?” Oikawa asked brightly.

Oh, so he _wasn’t_ just trying to be stubborn. Iwaizumi really needed to remind himself to stop jumping to conclusions. He wasn’t sure what it was about Oikawa but being in his presence just made him tense and agitated.

It had to do with what Hanamaki and Matsukawa had said to him, he _knew_ that but what he didn’t know was whether he was jumpy because he didn’t believe them or because he wanted it to be true.

Iwaizumi furrowed his brows. “That’s not exactly research.”

“Technically, neither is _The X-Files_ ,” Oikawa retorted.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he should point out what that might have meant. Instead of arguing with Oikawa, he nodded. “Sure,” he acquiesced, much to Oikawa's pleasure.

It wasn’t really settling on his part though. He couldn’t deny that hanging out with Oikawa beat doing homework on a Thursday night, and if they got to watch movies and pretend like they were doing research for their project, then Iwaizumi didn’t have anything to complain about.

The dubbed version of _Star Wars_ made it easier on Iwaizumi's tired brain for the first thirty minutes of episode four. Then Oikawa wiggled around on the couch until he was turned over on his side, legs stretch out over Iwaizumi's thighs, and Iwaizumi lost complete focus of what was happening on the screen. He stiffened up, far too aware of where his hands were now that Oikawa's legs were _too close_ and at the same time, not close enough.

Oikawa hadn’t even hesitated and it made Iwaizumi wonder whether someone who had a crush could really do something like that so nonchalantly. Maybe it was the fatigue, or maybe he had just grown accustomed to his friends throwing him for a loop but the suspicion didn’t leave his mind.

They exchanged conversation, but it was mostly just Oikawa yelling things at the screen and Iwaizumi mumbling his agreement. For the most part however, it was quiet in the room and Iwaizumi knew he should leave before he fell asleep and overstayed, but a part of him didn’t want to move.

He didn’t know when his rigid posture melted into a relaxed one. He also didn’t notice when the movie stopped playing or when Oikawa fell asleep, or even when his own eyes closed and he succumbed to the feeling of the warm couch and Oikawa's even warmer legs draped across his thighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa's [t-shirt](https://imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/print/posters/pusheen-so-lazy_a-G-12676177-0.jpg) in question lol
> 
> next time:  
> \- awkward (?) morning afters  
> \- unofficial lunch date
> 
> as always, kudos/comments are very much appreciated ♡


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter starts off with Iwaizumi's perspective but most is from Oikawa's - a little bit of a change of pace if you will

Iwaizumi was a fucking idiot. In all honesty, he believed himself to be a relatively intelligent person, both academically and socially. He had pretty good grades, _cared_ about doing well in school and put in the effort to learn. But he was also street smart in the sense that he knew how to be aware of his surroundings, knew what was socially acceptable – most of the time – and he _definitely_ knew how to be a proper guest. 

Except, apparently he _didn’t_ know how to do the last bit after all.

When he woke up Friday morning with the sunlight washing across his faces, eyes twitching open slowly, Iwaizumi's first thought was that his back was incredibly sore and his thighs felt even worse, which was strange because he hadn’t gone to the gym last night like he usually would have.

But then he remembered what he _had_ done the night before and he suddenly jolted out of his sleeping position a little too quickly. His left hand flew to his back, trying to soothe the ache that seared up his sides as he took in his surroundings.

He couldn’t remember going back home, which made sense because he _hadn’t_ gone back home. He had somehow fallen asleep at Oikawa's apartment, on Oikawa's _couch_ and the damn guy wasn’t even here.

Iwaizumi reached for his phone that was stuffed in his pocket, pulling it out of his jeans uncomfortably. He groaned, noticing the time read 7:21 am. His first class was at 8 am, again, but this time Iwaizumi wasn’t so sure he was going to make it to class on time unlike yesterday.

He didn’t wait to see if Oikawa was somewhere else in the apartment – likely his bedroom – because Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to Oikawa at this point. _‘Sorry for overstaying’_ just didn’t feel like it would cut it.

So, feeling like a cheap one-night stand, Iwaizumi grabbed his backpack, slipped on his shoes, and walked back to his apartment to shower and change.

He felt a little guilty for leaving the door unlocked until Iwaizumi tried to wiggle the apartment door once he was outside and realized that Oikawa had one of those automatic locking doors. It was fancy, and nice, and it just further made Iwaizumi realize the difference between his and Oikawa's positions in life.

He wasn’t jealous. It was just painfully obvious that Oikawa was way out of his league; he felt a pang of hurt at the thought, but he pushed it aside in favour of attempting to get to class on time rather than figure out what the disappointment meant.

It didn’t work though. It took him fifteen minutes to walk back home, ten to shower and change, and another fifteen to walk to his first class, which made him just about five minutes late.

Thankfully, Kumiko-sensei was one of the nicer professors at the university and she ignored Iwaizumi's tardiness in favour of continuing the lecture without a hitch.

Iwaizumi slid into the open seat next to Matsukawa and pulled out his notebook, only then realizing that he had grabbed the wrong one. _Goddammit_.

“Hey Mattsun, can I get some paper?” he asked his friend quietly, hoping that Matsukawa was better prepared for the lecture than he was. Iwaizumi figured that he could copy these notes into his appropriate notebook when he got back home, even if it was extra work.

Matsukawa raised his eyebrows at Iwaizumi suspiciously, but didn’t push Iwaizumi's absentmindedness. He dug through his school bag for a few seconds, handing Iwaizumi a stack of papers and returning his focus to the class.

The class ticked by slowly, and although Iwaizumi had slept pretty well, despite the fact that his back was now sore from the stiff position he had fallen asleep in, he was far too distracted about having slept over at Oikawa's without an invitation.

Iwaizumi had initially thought that Oikawa had just ditched him to go sleep in his room, but then his mind started replaying their conversation from last night and Iwaizumi found himself getting more annoyed when he realized that Oikawa had probably gone off to volleyball practice and left Iwaizumi alone in his apartment.

Was he just stupid or mean to do that? Something told Iwaizumi it was neither of those possibilities. But he felt oddly jilted by Oikawa's behaviour, which was stupid because Oikawa really hadn’t done anything wrong. If they were going to point fingers and play the blame game, then the way Iwaizumi was feeling was his own damn fault.

He dutifully wrote down what the teacher was saying, but his brain certainly did not register the words on the paper. He was working on autopilot, which Matsukawa didn’t fail to notice, much to Iwaizumi's dismay.

“Why were you late this morning?” Matsukawa asked, as soon as he, Iwaizumi and Hanamaki had settled on the grass for lunch again.

“You were late to class?” Hanamaki perked up. Iwaizumi really hated his friends’ nosiness sometimes. “That makes sense considering Suga said you didn’t come home last night,” Hanamaki added thoughtfully to his previous question.

Iwaizumi really hated his roommate sometimes as well.

“So, did you–” Hanamaki started but Iwaizumi cut him off.

“Don’t even think about finishing that question,” he glared.

He was _not_ in the mood to entertain his friends’ teasing. Not today when he had a million other personal thoughts that he was already trying to deal with.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa shared a look that didn’t go unnoticed by Iwaizumi. But they remained silent, Matsukawa expertly changing the subject before Iwaizumi could butt heads with Hanamaki some more.

He liked his best friends equally; both of them had their own qualities that Iwaizumi valued but when it came to making everyone happy, it was Matsukawa’s peace-making that Iwaizumi appreciated the most.

Matsukawa was relaxed and laidback – he tended to let things slide without too much of a second thought, which made it easy when Hanamaki and Iwaizumi didn’t get along because they were the more stubborn ones in their group. Sometimes, Iwaizumi felt guilty for making Matsukawa scold his boyfriend. But then again, Iwaizumi never really _made_ Matsukawa do anything, and he couldn’t deny that seeing how fair his friend was didn’t make him happy.

“I’m going to get something from the vending machine. Forgot to grab my lunch from the fridge this morning,” he mumbled in explanation. “Want anything?” he asked, standing up and dusting his pant leg off.

“No, that’s fine. We’ll be here when you get back,” Hanamaki waved.

His friend’s smile made some of the guilt churning in Iwaizumi's stomach ease up. He had never been good at fighting with people and although firmly telling Hanamaki off wasn’t exactly a _fight_ , Iwaizumi had always had a large guilty conscience.

* * *

Oikawa was a dumbass. He couldn’t believe he had just _left_ Iwaizumi in his apartment and gone off to volleyball practice that morning. At least, Iwaizumi hadn’t been lying when he said he was tired. That, or he was the world’s deepest sleeper because even with Kuroo and Bokuto making insane amounts of noise in the morning to _not so accidentally_ wake Iwaizumi up, the man had not stirred.

Oikawa was both grateful and entirely mortified. At least if Iwaizumi had woken up then Oikawa wouldn’t have felt like he was ditching him. Not that he _was_. It was Oikawa's apartment after all. If anything, leaving Iwaizumi alone in his apartment just showed how much faith he had in Iwaizumi to not do anything stupid.

It was both misplaced and a little too over the top. _No wonder Iwaizumi didn’t like him_ , his brain reminded him unhelpfully.

Oikawa hadn’t missed the way Iwaizumi wrinkled his nose at him, or the gruff way he spoke to Oikawa. At first, Oikawa assumed that was just his normal way of talking to _everyone_ but then he had seen Iwaizumi with his friends the day before and he was so relaxed that it made Oikawa a little bit jealous.

What was there to not like about him? Everyone else seemed to think he was great, but Iwaizumi wouldn’t even give him the time of the day. Oikawa had hoped that asking Suzuki-sensei to partner him with Iwaizumi would make the other man act at least friendly with him. But nope, he seemed to dislike Oikawa more after spending some time with him.

Oikawa groaned aloud, resisting the urge to walk over to the nearest tree and slam his head against the trunk. The school campus was too beautiful for his misery, and his friends were clearly not good enough people to comfort him.

“Are you thinking about your one-night stand again?” Bokuto prompted.

Oikawa grumbled a few choice words under his breath, shooting Bokuto a glare. “It was _not_ a one-night stand,” he said firmly.

“Right,” Kuroo drawled. “Then why are you acting like it was? Did you want it to be?” he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Don’t be stupid, Kuroo,” Bokuto smacked Kuroo's arm and Oikawa felt a momentary rise of relief. “He wants it to be an every night stand, not just _one_ ,” Bokuto corrected, and Oikawa released a heavy sigh from his nostrils.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Oikawa complained, face blotchy with embarrassed red spots. “You’re the worst people,” he said dully, the words not quite having their desired effects.

Bokuto and Kuroo burst out into loud peals of laughter, thriving off of Oikawa's annoyance. He should have known that his friends were never going to let him live this down. They had heard him talk about Iwaizumi for far too long to give this up.

In retrospect, it was Oikawa's own fault for mentioning Iwaizumi all those weeks ago. But how was he supposed to deal with the fact that the only hot guy in his astronomy class wasn’t even _looking_ at him. Kuroo had insisted that he was straight, Bokuto had been a bit kinder and suggested that Iwaizumi was just very focused on his schoolwork.

As of the past two days, Oikawa knew both of those statements to be incorrect. So then why Iwaizumi _still_ didn’t like him was beyond Oikawa's knowledge.

He wasn’t used to having to work so hard to attract someone’s attention. Usually, it was the other way around with Oikawa's attention that other people were vying for. Even if he didn’t like them, he still made them feel like they were important.

Iwaizumi on the other hand was just plain _cold_ , and it made Oikawa like him even more. He sighed loudly again, lips jutting out into a pout.

“I don’t know why you even like him,” Kuroo said, voice turning serious in a matter of seconds. “He was an asshole to you. He ignored all your texts and the way he speaks to you is aggressive as fuck,” he narrowed his eyes. “He’s not even that hot.”

Oikawa knew that Kuroo's words were meant to be comforting but they didn’t have their desired effect. Sure, Iwaizumi had been a jerk but that didn’t mean he _wasn’t_ hot. Even with that grumpy face he was attractive and when he _smiled_ – Oikawa was kind of grateful that Iwaizumi didn’t smile all that often considering the way his upturned lips made Oikawa's stomach squirm.

“He’s not always that mean,” Oikawa defended.

“Sure,” Kuroo rolled his eyes. “If he’s not inherently as much of a dick as he seems to be then the only thing I can tell you is that he noticed you like him and is doing a very bad job of rejecting you.”

Oikawa furrowed his brows in anger. He knew he shouldn’t be mad at Kuroo for telling him the truth but that didn’t mean that he _liked_ it.

“Don’t listen to Kuroo, and don’t be sad, Oikawa,” Bokuto affectionately thumped his back a few times before bringing his arm up around Oikawa's shoulder firmly. He squeezed to show his support and when Oikawa felt Kuroo's arm around his other shoulder too, some of his anger dissipated.

“Thanks, Bokuto,” Oikawa smiled.

As much as his friends liked to tease him, they were still good people… sometimes.

“Well, well, well. Speak of the fucking devil. Isn’t that Iwaizumi over there?” Kuroo nudged Oikawa in the direction he was looking at and sure enough, that was _definitely_ Iwaizumi, frowning or maybe thinking, while he stared at the vending machine.

The sight would have been pretty cute if it wasn’t for the fact that Oikawa was mortified at seeing Iwaizumi again. He knew it was stupid because they were partners and they were going to have to speak to one another again, but right now, Oikawa was embarrassed and he wasn’t sure if they were going to just ignore the fact that Iwaizumi had accidentally slept over or acknowledge it.

Oikawa was honestly fine with either of those options. His only problem lay in not knowing which of those things _Iwaizumi_ wanted.

“Hide me!” Oikawa whispered to his friends.

Kuroo grinned at Oikawa in the way he did when he was about to do something stupid. He cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed out, “Iwaizumi!”

Oikawa cringed at both how loud Kuroo's shout had been and the fact that Iwaizumi had promptly turned in their direction.

“Go yell at him or something so you’re no longer sad. He deserves it,” Kuroo patted Oikawa's shoulder, pulling Bokuto away from the scene.

Iwaizumi didn’t move from his location, only continued to stare at Oikawa who was standing about fifteen metres away, hands stuffed into the pocket of his joggers and an unreadable expression on his face.

Oikawa knew how stupid he would look if he just turned around and walked – _ran_ – away now, so he took a few deep breaths to calm himself and walked right up to Iwaizumi, offering the other man a small smile in greeting.

“Hi!” Oikawa had to refrain from visibly cringing at how fake that sounded.

“Er, hi,” Iwaizumi offered unsurely.

He didn’t say anything else and Oikawa knew it was his turn to keep the conversation going but he was clamming up. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so nervous and just that thought alone was making his anxiety worse.

“Are you okay?” Iwaizumi frowned, concern etched into his features.

“Yes, I’m fine!” Oikawa promised. “I’m just… I’m sorry for ditching you this morning,” he apologized sheepishly. “I had practice and I really didn’t want to wake you up and kick you out because what if you thought I didn’t like you and you hated me for doing that but then I realized that it was stupid to leave you alone in my apartment and let you figure out what time it was and what if I made you late for class – oh god, I didn’t make you late for class, did I?”

The worlds tumbled out of his mouth before Oikawa could stop himself. He felt his face heat up and just knew it looked as flushed as it felt but the sight of Iwaizumi's smile kept the embarrassment at bay.

Maybe Iwaizumi didn’t hate him that much after all; if he was capable of smiling at Oikawa even after Oikawa had done something stupid, then there was an inkling of hope left for him.

“It’s okay,” he insisted, making Oikawa's face flush harder for completely different reasons. “It’s my fault for staying uninvited, anyway.”

“No!” Oikawa shook his head. “That wasn’t your fault.” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. Oikawa cleared his throat, ignoring that awkward conversation entirely and choosing to move on to something else. If Iwaizumi wasn’t strung up over last night then Oikawa sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to make it a big deal.

“What are you doing?” he asked instead.

The moment the question left his mouth Oikawa wished he could take it back. Of course Iwaizumi was getting something from the vending machine. _What else, you idiot_ , his traitorous mind added to the blow.

Iwaizumi gave him an amused look. “Buying a drink. What do you think: Pocari Sweat or Aquarius?” he nodded to the two selection of sports drinks inside the vending machine.

Oikawa was pleasantly surprised that Iwaizumi had asked his opinion. He didn’t even have to look to give his answer. “Pocari Sweat, _always_ ,” he grinned.

It wasn’t even because the volleyball team had a contract with the brand that it was Oikawa's favourite. Even before coming to Chuo, Pocari Sweat had been Oikawa's sports drink of choice. It was refreshing and not so heavy or flavoured like so many other sports drinks out there.

Oikawa would never tell anyone, but the craze for Pocari Sweat came from watching his older brother down a bottle after every single one of his volleyball games. His brother hadn’t gone into playing volleyball after high school but he was the reason Oikawa loved the game and had tried as hard as he did at it. Now though, he played for himself but he would never forget Hiroki giving Oikawa his old volleyball and teaching him how to play that very first time.

“Seems like you’ve got history,” Iwaizumi chuckled.

Oikawa beamed, proud that he could make Iwaizumi laugh despite feeling awkward around him only minutes earlier.

“Are you one of those people who likes sports drinks in general or did you just get back from the gym or something?” Oikawa asked, eyeing Iwaizumi's lack of sweaty clothes or gym bag.

“I haven’t had lunch yet and figured this would be enough to last me through my afternoon classes,” Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “The cafeteria’s all the way on the other side of campus and well, the food in these vending machines kind of sucks,” he laughed nervously.

Oikawa pursed his lips. “You should have a proper meal, Iwa-chan,” he scolded. “When’s your next class?” he asked.

Iwaizumi flicked his eyes down to his wrist. “In an hour an half,” he responded, confirming the time on his watch.

“Let’s go,” Oikawa jerked a thumb behind him.

“ _Where_?”

“To get lunch. It’s my fault you haven’t eaten, right? I should have woken you up when I was leaving,” he frowned. “Lucky for you, I haven’t had lunch yet either so let me make it up to you,” he insisted.

For a brief, panic-stricken second, Oikawa was afraid Iwaizumi was going to decline. As nice as this conversation between them was, considering how the rest had panned out, Oikawa wasn’t sure his ego could handle it if Iwaizumi refused to even have lunch with him. But then, Iwaizumi nodded, adjusted the straps of his backpack over his shoulders and motioned for Oikawa to lead the way.

“So, Iwa-chan, why don’t you think aliens exist?” Oikawa asked, walking next to Iwaizumi. He was only going to take Iwaizumi across the street to the café so he didn’t feel the need to lead. It was a lot closer than the school cafeteria was and had a much better food selection.

“Seriously?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Yes, _seriously_ ,” Oikawa responded.

“I could ask you the same thing, you know. What makes you think aliens _do_ exist,” he challenged.

“That’s not fair!” Oikawa shouted. “I asked you first, you have to answer.”

He swore he heard Iwaizumi mumble something about Oikawa being childish but he wasn’t given the chance to retort.

“It just seems farfetched. If aliens did exist and are, as everyone claims, so much more technologically advanced, why haven’t they, I don’t know, done anything?”

“Because they’re good scientists. They know not to disturb the natural order of things. They’re just observing and making notes for their own research but sometimes they slip up and we catch sight of them. Of course, the knowledge that aliens exist would ruin this fine balance of the observer and the observed and we can’t have that. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t accept their existence,” he explained.

Iwaizumi shook his head. Oikawa felt like he was being teased but there was absolutely nothing wrong with believing in aliens. He had done his own research; not all the information out there was true but that didn’t take away from the fact that there _were_ instances of alien sightings.

“Are you sure you’re at the top of your class?” Iwaizumi challenged.

Oikawa's jaw dropped open in shock. “That’s just _mean_ ,” he squawked.

Iwaizumi laughed at the sight, much to Oikawa dismay. His face flushed somewhere between embarrassed and annoyed until Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa’s shoulder with his own and said, “I’m sorry,” so genuinely that Oikawa wasn’t sure he knew how to respond.

It wasn’t fair. Iwaizumi was prickly on the outside but sweeter than anyone could have imagined on the inside. He was sincere when he wanted to be and Oikawa wasn’t sure it was good for his heart to be around Iwaizumi like this. 

He had liked Iwaizumi since the first day of their astronomy lecture but Iwaizumi hadn’t even bothered with him. Now though, Oikawa was kind of glad that Iwaizumi had been so distant because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could contain his crush.

It _was_ nice though, seeing that Iwaizumi didn’t hate Oikawa as much as Oikawa believed him to. Maybe he just needed a little warming up, which while Oikawa was not used to doing didn’t mean that he wouldn’t _this time_.

“We’re here,” Oikawa beamed, holding open the door to the café for Iwaizumi to walk through first. He gave Oikawa a frown, which didn’t make any sense. “You don’t like this place?” Oikawa asked, misinterpreting Iwaizumi's reaction.

“That’s not it,” he shook his head. “It’s just, I feel bad. This place is expensive, we can go somewhere else,” he stuffed his hands into his pockets awkwardly.

The sight of Iwaizumi humbled was cute.

“I told you, I’m only allowed one cheat day a month,” Oikawa reminded. “This is the price of eating healthy, but don’t worry, I get a food allowance,” he smiled, pushing Iwaizumi gently until he moved forward.

Iwaizumi didn’t look convinced, so Oikawa ignored his wary looks and led him to a table, telling him to wait there while he ordered for them.

“You didn’t even ask me what I wanted,” Iwaizumi grumbled.

“Too bad. You’ll probably just pick the cheapest thing on the menu if I give you a choice,” Oikawa grinned at the way Iwaizumi's face flushed. “Are you allergic to anything? Are there any foods you hate with a burning passion?”

Iwaizumi shook his head but otherwise remained seated, which Oikawa took as a sign of victory. He grinned brightly and headed to the front of the store where he ordered the same thing for himself and Iwaizumi – chicken pesto – before returning to the table Iwaizumi was patiently waiting for him at.

“What’d you get?” Iwaizumi asked when Oikawa slid into the seat across from him.

“You’ll see,” he smiled in response. “What are you studying?”

“What?” Iwaizumi asked, blinking back a few times at the sudden change in topics.

“Well, you know my major is astrophysics, but I don’t know yours,” he pressed.

“Is that really relevant to the project?” Iwaizumi knit his brows together in confusion.

Oikawa chewed on his bottom lip nervously. “You don’t have to be so stingy with sharing information I could easily look up with your name on the school directory,” he huffed. “We can always just sit in silence too,” he offered, slightly miffed by Iwaizumi's need to be so stubborn about everything.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi sighed.

Oikawa wasn’t sure whether the sigh was because he felt guilty or because he was tired of constantly apologizing to Oikawa.

“Kinesiology,” Iwaizumi responded before Oikawa could tell him to stop apologizing.

“Oh? What do you want to do after you graduate?”

“Probably physical therapy,” Iwaizumi shrugged. “As the Captain of the baseball team, I got used to having to remind all the players to stretch properly before and after each practice. It sounds annoying, but I found that I liked it. If I can be the reason why someone doesn’t fuck up one of their limbs then it sounds like a pretty good job to me,” he smiled.

Oikawa felt his heart melt at the sincerity. Iwaizumi was… _sweet_. Oikawa already knew he was a nice person. On the very first day of their astronomy lecture, Oikawa had seen a girl spill her coffee all over Iwaizumi's shirt and instead of getting angry, he had apologized _to her_ and even offered his own coffee to her to make up for the one she had spilled.

The girl had been so flustered that she shook her head and practically bolted before anyone could make a comment otherwise, and Iwaizumi had stalked off in the direction of the bathroom to presumably wash off some of the coffee stains from his shirt.

Oikawa had gone in after him with the offer to let Iwaizumi borrow one of his extra shirts he kept in his gym bag, having come to class directly from volleyball practice that evening. But Iwaizumi had apparently gone to the gym right before because Oikawa walked in just as Iwaizumi took off his dirty shirt, shuffled through his gym bag a bit and pulled out a clean one to pull over his head.

If Oikawa was asked, that was probably the moment he realized he had a crush, and it had nothing to do with the muscles that Iwaizumi was hiding – or maybe not hiding very well – under his clothes.

Maybe it had _something_ to do with that, but mostly Oikawa couldn’t believe someone could be so endearing and kind.

He flushed at the thought, but quickly shoved the memory away for a time when he wasn’t sitting across from the subject of his embarrassment.

“Pretty cheesy, huh?” Iwaizumi chuckled nervously.

“No!” Oikawa shook his head. “That’s probably the most genuine thing I’ve heard,” he flashed Iwaizumi a sunny smile. “Besides, that’s good for me. When I need a physical therapist I’ll know to call Iwa-chan,” he grinned.

Iwaizumi shook his head, but there was a smile playing on the edge of his lips. Oikawa mentally cheered at having gone longer than five minutes without arguing with Iwaizumi; he had been starting to think it was impossible and that they were just _too different_ to ever get along.

“You’re going to play volleyball professionally then?” Iwaizumi asked.

“That’s the plan,” Oikawa nodded.

Playing volleyball had been his dream for so long that Oikawa wasn’t sure what he would do if he couldn’t. It was one of the reasons he worked as hard as he did. He _wanted_ it and there wasn’t anything or anyone that could get in the way of his perseverance.

“You’ve got this scary look on your face,” Iwaizumi said awkwardly.

“What?” Oikawa flushed. “Oh, I was just thinking about how I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t play volleyball,” he sighed. Oikawa couldn’t deny that he had this thought often enough that he wasn’t even concerned when it popped up at the most unlikely times.

“Don’t be stupid, of course you’re going to play. You’re really good, Oikawa, everyone knows that,” Iwaizumi said, voice so firm that Oikawa was momentarily shocked by the fierceness. “Besides,” Iwaizumi added, tone considerably lighter, “You’ve got your alien major to fall back on,” he grinned.

“ _Astrophysics_!” Oikawa yelled indignantly. “And how would you know I’m good? You’ve only seen me play once,” Oikawa reminded, recalling his brief conversation with Hanamaki and Matsukawa from yesterday.

“Once is enough, I’ve got a good memory _and_ I’ve got good judgement,” Iwaizumi remained stubborn to his claim.

Oikawa had to resist the urge to ask Iwaizumi what his opinion of Oikawa was. Going off first impressions… well, Oikawa wasn’t sure when Iwaizumi had formed his of Oikawa.

“I don’t believe you. Come watch me play again,” he bargained. “We’ve got a game tomorrow night against Waseda University and they’re a pretty good team so that’s the only way I’ll accept your judgement on my skills,” he said quickly, before his nerves could betray him.

Really, he just wanted an excuse to see Iwaizumi and _maybe_ show off a little.

He watched Iwaizumi shift his face in thought and was mildly afraid Iwaizumi was going to decline the offer but then he nodded and said, “Alright.”

“Really?” Oikawa asked, brain to mouth filter betraying him.

“Yes, _really_ ,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “Text me the details. I’ll watch you play,” he said again, this time more of a promise than an agreement.

Oikawa grinned, knowing his smile stretched from ear to ear but he couldn’t be bothered to feel embarrassed, especially when Iwaizumi's cheeks tinged pink and he laughed alongside Oikawa until their lunch arrived.

With their afternoon classes still hanging over them, lunch was much too short for Oikawa's liking but there was absolutely _nothing_ for him to complain about otherwise. Knowing that he could make Iwaizumi smile was enough to make Oikawa happily accept the short time they got to spend over lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time:  
> \- Iwaizumi goes to a volleyball game  
> \- after party invitations 
> 
> thank you for reading! I hope you can leave me a comment/kudos if you enjoyed this chapter ^^  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little bit of progress on their relationship c:

“Remind me again what we’re doing here,” Hanamaki hummed, trying to goad a reaction out of Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi knew his friend was perfectly aware of what they were doing in the Chuo University gymnasium, inflatable noisemakers, that were handed out at the door upon their arrival in Chuo’s navy blue, in hand. Iwaizumi wasn’t particularly excited about using his noisemaker, mostly because it just made him feel embarrassed, but he  _had_ donned his school t-shirt that he found in his closet.

He didn’t even know he owned a shirt with the school logo but he vaguely remembered seeing it somewhere along with the rest of his orientation package. It was a surprise that shirt had lasted two years in the back of his closet, but Iwaizumi was grateful that he had found something to show at least a little bit of spirit.

He knew that volleyball was a popular sport at Chuo and that the team was pretty good, but seeing the crowd in the gymnasium in a sea of navy and white made the fact all the more  _real_. He knew that home games always had the advantage of the crowd and the court the team was used to practicing on, but Iwaizumi had no doubt that there would be close to the same number of supporters had the game been held at Waseda University instead.

It was easy to get lost in the game,  _especially_  when Oikawa was playing. Iwaizumi didn’t even have to feel embarrassed about accidentally raising his arm in a cheer or letting out a shout of surprise when Oikawa's serve landed right on the line of the court, being called an in by the referee. Everyone else was just as enamoured by Oikawa's plays and watching him was truly something special.

When the team had first walked in and been introduced to the crowd, Oikawa had been all smiles and waves, grinning brightly and holding up hearts with his hands, which made the girls in the crowd erupt into giggles that were borderline shrilly screams. But the moment the game started, Oikawa's entire demeanour had changed. Not  _once_  did he look up into the crowd. It was as if the crowd didn’t even exist at that point; Iwaizumi would have believed it if that’s what Oikawa said himself.

But there was something attractive about the way Oikawa's eyes narrowed into focus, how he spun the volleyball in his hand exactly three times and took just two steps before jumping. His serves were what got the crowd going, but Iwaizumi personally liked the way he looked when he was setting better.

Iwaizumi had played volleyball only as far as the school curriculum taught and during the summer sports festivals every year in high school, but even then, it was obvious that Oikawa's sets weren’t normal. He changed his angle every time and it  _worked_.

Iwaizumi supposed he should have felt a little creepy for watching Oikawa so closely but he was far too amazed by Oikawa's athletic ability to care.

The last time he had gone to a volleyball game had been because Suga had insisted that he come to at least  _one_ but he couldn’t say he had paid much attention that time around. Iwaizumi wasn’t opposed to attending a game, but he didn’t really know anyone on the team to have a reason to care.

He supposed he didn’t really know Oikawa all that well either but as a member of the team, he had specifically invited Iwaizumi and well, Iwaizumi couldn’t exactly say ‘no’ to that. He  _was_  enjoying the match at any rate. And also maybe enjoying the way Oikawa's shorts looked on his legs, a little  _too_  much to not count as embarrassing.

“Yo, Earth to Iwaizumi,” Hanamaki waved a hand in his face.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked, belatedly registering that Hanamaki had asked him a question about half a minute ago.

“Well, that answers your question,” Matsukawa smirked. “He’s watching his boyfriend, Makki, let him be.”

Iwaizumi scowled. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

He wasn’t even sure that Oikawa really liked him. He was friendly with everyone and borderline flirty all the time so Iwaizumi didn’t really see his and Oikawa's interactions as anything special.

Not that he was opposed to the idea of Oikawa liking him. Nope, not one bit. Even if he  _was_  a little over the top, he was sincere. Oikawa's invitation to lunch yesterday had pretty much proved to Iwaizumi that he was a nice guy beneath the garish cover.

“You wish he was,” Hanamaki chimed in. “He’s really good, huh?” he added, changing the topic expertly.

Iwaizumi's head turned back to the court at the mention of Oikawa. “Yeah,” he agreed simply, eyes searching for Oikawa's face.

He was currently sitting on the bench, resting as a pinch server got subbed in for him. Iwaizumi had never seen Oikawa look anything less than perfect, with his hair styled just right and his clothes wrinkle-free, but even with sweat beading down his neck and pooling under his armpits, hair flatter than usual due to the perspiration, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but think that Oikawa still looked good.

He flushed at the thought, turning his head automatically to prevent Hanamaki and Matsukawa from making a comment at his obvious embarrassment.

The longer the game went, the more Iwaizumi's thoughts turned inappropriate. Thankfully, the game was almost over though. Chuo had won the first set, Waseda had taken the second, but the third was currently going in Chuo’s favour.

Iwaizumi watched as Chuo’s pinch server did his duty, earning the team a bigger lead. As he walked off the court, Oikawa was called back in. It didn’t take long after that for the game to end. 19-22 turned to 20-24 and at match point, Chuo easily took the third set.

Iwaizumi shouted along with the rest of the gymnasium, school pride kicking in for once. It took him back to his high school days when he was the one on the field and the stadium was cheering for him. His high school had been lucky to get to Nationals twice – in his second and third year – and although they had never won Nationals, his school had been very well known for their success.

Watching Oikawa and his teammates high five and hug one another made him wonder about what it would have felt like had he continued playing baseball in university too. Although Iwaizumi had gotten offers, all the universities that wanted him were either in Kyushu or Tohoku.

Academically speaking, he wasn’t opposed to the idea at all. But geographically, they were too far from home. His sister had been fifteen, just starting high school then and he couldn’t abandon his grandparents. Although they all insisted on Iwaizumi following his dreams he realized that his dreams didn’t revolve around playing baseball but rather around a career after graduating from university.

He did miss playing the sport though, which was why most nights that he had free time with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, the three of them often hit the batting cage.

“Oh shit, he’s waving to you,” Hanamaki shook Iwaizumi's shoulder, pointing down into the crowd.

Iwaizumi flushed at the sight of Oikawa looking right at him. They weren’t especially close to the floor but Oikawa had still managed to find him. Iwaizumi swivelled his head around at the people near him who had burst into cheers at the sight of Oikawa waving in their general direction. Iwaizumi could have been fooled into thinking that Oikawa was trying to get someone else’s attention were it not for the fact that he beamed happily, putting a second hand up the moment Iwaizumi returned the wave.

Stupid, Oikawa. He was too cute.

He was nudged by a scarier looking teammate of his: tall, broad, and generally unsmiling. But even he relaxed when Oikawa said something to him, poking his chest before lining up to greet the other team. They returned for a final bow towards the audience before they filed off in the direction of the locker rooms.

Slowly, the crowd started to disperse and Iwaizumi moved out with the flow, barely taking in Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s discussion on the game.

He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket and fished it out with mild curiosity.

[Subject: (no subject)]  
**From: Shittykawa**  
>> don’t leave yet !  
>> tell Makki and Mattsun to stay too

“Oikawa told us not to leave,” Iwaizumi repeated, still staring at his phone.

He looked up to the confused faces of his friends when he didn’t hear a response. Iwaizumi handed the phone over to Hanamaki to read the text himself.

“Nice nickname you’ve got for him,” Hanamaki chided, showing the screen to Matsukawa who only gave Iwaizumi an unimpressed look in response.

“Give that back,” Iwaizumi held his hand out, ignoring his friends’ scolding.

Although, maybe he  _should_  change Oikawa's contact name… After all, he had added it in a state of sleep-deprivation and annoyance at everyone for entertaining the idea of alien existence.

“We should wait outside then. I don’t think we’re going to be allowed to wait up for the team in here. Look at all that campus security,” Matsukawa whistled at the sight of security guards ushering the crowd out of the gymnasium in an orderly fashion.

Iwaizumi's face fell contemplative at the sight. Matsukawa was right: there was way too much security around the gymnasium. Likely, the security was present to let the players change in peace and to avoid a fire safety hazard with how crowded the entrance was, but that didn’t make Oikawa's request any easier. As if on cue, Iwaizumi's phone vibrated again.

[Subject: (no subject)]  
**From: Shittykawa**  
>> the security guards will probably try to kick you out but there’s a door at the back that connects to the recreation building

Iwaizumi sighed in relief and sent back a confirmation. He ushered his friends to the back where Oikawa had asked him to wait. He felt a little silly just standing around, wondering what he would say if a security guard tried to tell him he couldn’t stand there.

“Relax,” Matsukawa put a hand on his shoulder, gripping it firmly. “Did Oikawa say what he wanted?”

“No,” Iwaizumi shook his head.

Ten minutes of physically restraining himself from pacing later, the door to the gym complex that could only be opened from the inside was thrown open.

Oikawa stepped out, using a rock to hold the door in place lest he locked himself out. He looked like he had just showered, hair still wet and dripping water down his neck, wetting the back of his shirt and parts of his shoulders. He was wearing a simple grey, volleyball t-shirt and black sweats with the team name printed along the right pant leg.

“I didn’t think you’d wait for so long,” Oikawa said in apology.

In reality, it wasn’t all that long. Ten minutes was nothing, but Iwaizumi's nerves had been fraying with every passing second. He didn’t even know why he was getting so worked up about waiting for Oikawa with his friends  _right there_.

“You’re good,” Hanamaki confirmed. “What’s up?” he asked, which was a good thing because Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he could find his voice at the moment.

He knew Oikawa was good looking, but seeing him look  _normal_  somehow made him more attractive in Iwaizumi's opinion. He was wearing his gym clothes, for fuck’s sake but for someone who obviously put in the effort to look his best, it was beguiling that he felt comfortable showing off his casual side in front of Iwaizumi.

“Oh!” Oikawa perked up. “The volleyball team’s having a party to celebrate the win. Wanna come?” he asked.

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes unsurely. “You couldn’t have just texted me that?”

It wasn’t  _meant_  to sound rude, although once the question was out of his mouth and Iwaizumi heard the words in sequence and saw Oikawa's eyes widen in shock, lips quivering into a pout for the briefest of seconds, he realized just how bad it sounded.

“Don’t listen to him, we’d love to go,” Matsukawa jumped in before Oikawa could retract the invitation.

Oikawa gave Iwaizumi one last look before turning his attention to Hanamaki and Matsukawa, ignoring Iwaizumi entirely.

He knew he deserved it, but that didn’t make the indifference sting any less.

“Here, give me your number, I’ll send you the details,” Oikawa offered, reaching for Hanamaki’s phone.

He already had Iwaizumi's number, yet the blatant ignorance was meant to offend Iwaizumi and it certainly was doing its job. His brain reminded him that it was his doing and that of course Oikawa was pissed that he had brushed off his effort in being personal.

“You fucking idiot,” Hanamaki punched Iwaizumi's arm the moment Oikawa waved goodbye and headed back in the gym with a promise to see them later tonight.  _“You couldn’t have just texted me that?”_  he quoted, rolling his eyes for good measure. “You’re the worst, I don’t even know how he still likes you.”

“That’s easy, he doesn’t,” Iwaizumi responded dully. No one would with the number of unintentional insults and the few intentional ones Iwaizumi had subjected Oikawa to.

“You’re a lost cause,” Matsukawa sighed heavily, nudging Iwaizumi with his own shoulder in an effort to make him start walking.

Somewhere on the walk home, Hanamaki suggested Iwaizumi meet him and Matsukawa at their house since it was closer to the train station.

It took another hour to shower and change. Usually, Iwaizumi threw on the first clean shirt and pair of pants he found in his closet but knowing that this was a party and that Oikawa was going to be there made him want to put a little more effort into his appearance than usual. Especially because Oikawa had basically ignored him after his stupid outburst and well, he  _did_  want to apologize.

He snuck into Suga’s room to use the full-length mirror and make sure that his blue button down wasn’t wrinkled somewhere he couldn’t see in the bathroom vanity. Paired with his dark jeans that Iwaizumi was certain was a gift from his sister, he thought he looked pretty good.

He was lucky Suga wasn’t home to make fun of him, but the momentary relief was squashed by the realization that his roommate was probably also going to the party because of Daichi and a beat of frustration crossed his mind.

The annoyance only grew when Hanamaki made a comment about his appearance. Iwaizumi was generally pretty good at humouring his friends, but tonight, his patience was wearing thin, if only because he didn’t know if Oikawa was going to even acknowledge him again.

The more his friends claimed that Oikawa liked him, the less inclined Iwaizumi was to believe them. This never would have happened if it wasn’t for the stupid project in the first place.

He was silent for most of the train ride, chiming in a few words every once in a while to prevent the conversation from returning to him. It took an hour to get to their destination, but the party had already started by the time they arrived.

Iwaizumi spotted a few familiar faces but no one he really knew. He should have felt awkward but he just felt anxious because he couldn’t see Oikawa anywhere. He generally didn’t like the stuffy environment of house parties, especially because people got far too drunk and by the end of the night – if Iwaizumi stayed long enough – he ended up coming home with the smell of vomit and booze lingering on his clothes.

“If you’re looking for Oikawa, it’ll still be a while,” Suga said, swinging an arm over Iwaizumi's shoulder.

“How’d you get here?” he frowned, noticing the lack of Hanamaki and Matsukawa in his vicinity.

He couldn’t remember them saying they were heading off, but then again, Iwaizumi had been a little preoccupied with spotting Oikawa's familiar, tall frame to notice much of what was going on around him.

“Caught a ride with Daichi’s roommate,” Suga explained. “Here, you’re so stiff, you need to loosen up a little,” Suga offered a spare cup to Iwaizumi.

It was full, which meant he had come here with the intention of striking up a conversation. Iwaizumi had been living with Suga for over a year now so he had gotten used to his roommate’s quirks. That also meant he knew when Suga wanted something from him and in this case, that something was definitely information.

“What do you want?” Iwaizumi said bluntly.

“Oh, come on, just take the drink,” Suga complained. “It’s beer,” he added, as if that was going to convince Iwaizumi.

He took the cup that was offered just to shut Suga up but it only served to egg his roommate on.

“I heard Oikawa invited you,” he hummed.

“You’re not very good at this,” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, taking a few large gulps from his cup until the liquid was gone. He felt a familiar warmth pool in his stomach and although it was going to take a lot more alcohol and lot more time to  _really_  loosen up, the placebo effect of the action was starting to kick in.

“You’re the most boring person I know and I can’t have people associating us together if you’re going to be like this,” Suga protested.

“So basically, what you’re telling me is that you want me to move out,” Iwaizumi said.

“ _No_!” Suga denied. Iwaizumi knew that wasn’t what he meant but it was kind of fun to be on the teasing end of the conversation, especially after the last three days he had. “I just want you to be a good roommate and give me all the details you’re obviously hiding,” he said firmly.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “Tell you what, if I get drunk enough, I’ll answer anything you want to know,” he compromised.

“Deal!” Suga grinned. “Wait here,” he prompted, turning around and walking off towards what Iwaizumi could only assume was the drinks table.

Having to deal with Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s constant jabs about his boring life was enough for Iwaizumi. There was no way he was going to give Suga the benefit of asking whatever he wanted. Iwaizumi waited until Suga was at least a few paces away before he ducked out of the living room and headed for the back of the house.

It was a nice place, big enough for all the people that were invited. Iwaizumi supposed everyone here was somehow connected to the volleyball team, which made  _him_  feel very disconnected. He supposed he had known Daichi for a long time, but they weren’t friends… mostly just acquaintances due to how infrequently they saw one another.

And Oikawa? Well, as of now he was just Iwaizumi's project partner. Friends seemed like a very farfetched option given how easily Iwaizumi was able to offend Oikawa.

He moved out of the way as a couple of girls tried to get past him, moving from one room to another so that he didn’t look too out of place until finally settling in the kitchen. He spotted Hanamaki dancing with Matsukawa a couple of times and although Iwaizumi felt strange being surrounded by people he didn’t know, he was glad that his friends were having fun at least.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a warm weight pressing against his back and long arms that draped over his chest.

 _This_  was why Iwaizumi hated house parties the most. A few drinks and people got so handsy that it took everything in Iwaizumi's power to not snap. He turned his head to the side to politely – or maybe a little harshly – tell the person off and  _oh_ , it was Oikawa.

Suddenly, the proximity didn’t bother him anymore. Oikawa's head was tilted to the side, face coming up over Iwaizumi's shoulder far too close to be considered safe for Iwaizumi's weak heart. His hair was back to in its usual style and his eyes were blown wide. Matched with the pink tinge spreading across his cheekbones, Iwaizumi didn’t have to be a genius to know Oikawa was already drunk.

“Do I have something on my face?” Oikawa frowned.

“N-no,” Iwaizumi shook his head, clearing his throat.

“You’re staring,” Oikawa pointed out, keeping his face pressed close.

Iwaizumi had learned that Oikawa was someone who didn’t know what personal space was. Since Thursday night when they were supposed to be working on their project and Oikawa had completely ignored the boundary of the couch cushions to yesterday at lunch when he kept stealing the olives out of the salad that came with their lunch that Iwaizumi refused to eat.

But having his face so close to Iwaizumi's own, the distance small enough that Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa's breath every time he breathed in and out was enrapturing as much as it was frightening.

“I thought you were mad at me,” Iwaizumi said, tearing his eyes away from how long Oikawa's eyelashes were and how much nicer they made his already pretty, brown eyes.

Oikawa frowned, wrinkling his nose in a way that made Iwaizumi's heart skip a beat.

“Oh,” he said, as if Iwaizumi had just pointed out new information to him. “I guess I was. But then Bokuto told me I was being dumb so I’m not anymore,” he grinned, flashing Iwaizumi a bright smile. “Although Kuroo said I should be mad forever,” he added contemplatively.

Iwaizumi wasn’t surprised by the lack of faith Kuroo had in him. The way Kuroo had stared at Iwaizumi, unimpressed and generally  _unhappy_  with his very presence that first time that Iwaizumi had met him was seared into his mind. He could only imagine that Oikawa had relayed what Iwaizumi had said and done to him and well, Iwaizumi couldn’t blame Kuroo for his hostility at all.

It still made him feel like a dick though. He knew Oikawa wasn’t a bad guy and he certainly hadn’t deserved Iwaizumi's harshness, even if he hadn’t meant it.

But for now, he was happy that Oikawa wasn’t taking his friend’s opinion of Iwaizumi into too much consideration. He chuckled, failing to keep his amusement in check at the simplicity of Oikawa's response. “I’m glad,” he said honestly. “I didn’t mean to offend you,” he continued, even though he wasn’t sure this was the right time for that conversation.

“It’s okay, I believe you.” Oikawa nodded, smiling at Iwaizumi encouragingly. “Are you having fun?”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “The party’s nice,” he lied.

Oikawa jut his lips out in a pout, eyebrows scrunching together. “Ah, Iwa-chan’s not having fun,” he said to himself. “I’ll make your night better,” he announced.

Iwaizumi had to do bite his tongue to prevent himself from telling Oikawa that he was already making his night better.

“Let’s go!” Oikawa said, lifting his leg to gently press his knee against the back of Iwaizumi's thigh, urging him forward.

With Oikawa latched onto Iwaizumi's back, he didn’t really ask where they were going – only moved with Oikawa's backseat maneuvering. He ignored the looks people threw in their direction when they emerged into the living room again. Iwaizumi wasn’t used to being the centre of attention but Oikawa was, which he had to remind himself when the stares in their direction didn’t let up.

“Whose house is this?” Iwaizumi asked, looking for a distraction from the gazes.

“Ushiwaka’s,” Oikawa responded.

“I don’t know who that is,” Iwaizumi laughed. He felt a little silly asking now because the chance of him knowing whose house they were in was pretty low to begin with.

“He’s on the volleyball team – oh there he is!” Oikawa lifted a hand off Iwaizumi's chest and pointed with his index finger. Iwaizumi followed the line with his eyes, recognition crossed his face when it landed on the scary looking guy he had seen talking to Oikawa at the end of the game.

“He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who’d let you use his house for a party,” Iwaizumi mused.

“He isn’t,” Oikawa laughed. “But Kuroo can be quite convincing,” he explained. “He’s looking at us, you should wave, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, reaching down for Iwaizumi's hand. He lifted it up and waved it alongside his own in the direction of his teammate who did not look very impressed. What had Oikawa just said a few seconds ago – that Kuroo could be quite convincing? Iwaizumi had no doubt that he was.

“I don’t think he likes me,” Iwaizumi said bluntly.

“Don’t worry about him, that’s what he always looks like,” Oikawa chuckled, turning Iwaizumi away.

He walked where Oikawa directed him, trying and failing to stop noticing how nice Oikawa smelled and how warm he was. They greeted a few people that Oikawa knew and he introduced Iwaizumi to them, although if Iwaizumi was being honest he didn’t remember many of their names.

Oikawa pointed out things about the house like where the couch was from and who gave the paintings that lined the staircase leading up to the second floor. It was a very well furnished house and Iwaizumi was shocked that Oikawa's teammate – Ushijima, as he learned his real name was – allowed them to throw a party in it.

Oikawa assured him that Ushijima had checked with his father first, which was a strange concept to Iwaizumi because wow, he was a straight arrow and his father must have either trusted him a lot or didn’t care.

He knew he should have probably stopped Oikawa from consuming more alcohol considering his already inebriated state when he first came up to Iwaizumi, but it was hard to tell Oikawa off when he just looked so  _happy_. It was also difficult to deny the drinks that Oikawa offered him until the light buzz had evolved closer to a drunken state.

At one point, Oikawa tried to convince Iwaizumi to dance with him but one look at the proximity of the people on the dance floor and Iwaizumi had to decline. He wasn’t even sure if Oikawa knew what he wanted at that point and he felt like he was taking advantage of Oikawa's need to be personal and close.

Oikawa wasn’t deterred by Iwaizumi's refusal. He unhooked his hands from around Iwaizumi's neck and walked off in the direction of where the mass of dancers were. Iwaizumi had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling when Oikawa started dancing by himself, although the lip biting to prevent a smile turned into a measure to prevent a groan when he saw Oikawa sway his hips in a way that was too sexual for a public setting.

Watching him dance alone though, was way better than watching him dance with someone.

“He keeps looking at you,” Kuroo said, sliding up next to Iwaizumi, eyes faced forward to where Oikawa was still moving without a second thought.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed, voice rough from the knot that had lodged itself in his throat. Part of it had to do with the fact that Oikawa was undeniably attractive and part of it had to do with the fact that Iwaizumi was slightly intimidated by Kuroo.

“You could dance with him,” Kuroo suggested, raising an eyebrow. “He definitely wants you to.”

“He might not considering how much he’s had to drink,” Iwaizumi said honestly. 

Maybe if the place was less crowded and maybe if Oikawa had been a little more sober, Iwaizumi would have taken him up on the offer. Watching Oikawa dance was certainly making his skin heat up and his throat feel dry with want.

“Good answer,” Kuroo said, losing his initial, intimidating persona.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but feel like he was being tested and  _oh_ , maybe Hanamaki and Matsukawa weren’t just pulling his leg… maybe Oikawa really  _did_  like him. He looked back to the man in question who was taking a break. He was leaning against a wall, face flushed and chest heaving. Iwaizumi's gaze turned back to Kuroo who was trying his best not to grin but the twitch of his lips gave away his amusement.

“Don’t bother Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scolded, joining the group.

Iwaizumi startled at his presence. Even though Iwaizumi had spent most of the night with Oikawa, he had been behind Iwaizumi for the majority of it, only his face visible. Now, with him standing so close, it was easy for Iwaizumi to admire his clothes as well as his face. He was glad that he had dressed up a little himself but it was nothing compared to how Oikawa looked in his navy chinos and grey crewneck with a thick vertical, navy stripe going down his left side.

“We’re just talking,” Kuroo promised. Oikawa hummed, yawning loudly. “Do you want to go home? You worked pretty hard during the game,” Kuroo said, concern etched into his face.

Oikawa wrinkled his nose contemplatively. “Yes, but I want Iwa-chan to take me home,” he smiled brightly, shooting Iwaizumi a sincere look that had Iwaizumi's already dry throat losing all moisture completely.

Kuroo laughed. “What were you saying about not bothering him? Come on, Tooru, I can do it,” he said gently, smiling apologetically in Iwaizumi's direction.

Iwaizumi couldn’t deny that the familiarity with which Kuroo spoke to Oikawa made him jealous. It was stupid because  _of course_  they were close: they were roommates and teammates. Iwaizumi had no right to feel so protective but he couldn’t help that he liked Oikawa.

“I don’t mind,” Iwaizumi blurted out before he could fully comprehend what he was offering. The absolutely ecstatic look on Oikawa's face had Iwaizumi's mentally cheering because he looked so much better when his smile was sincere and open.

Kuroo's smile turned suspicious in a matter of seconds, the earlier friendliness disappearing with Iwaizumi's forwardness.

“Don’t worry, Iwa-chan’s very nice. He won’t take advantage of me,” Oikawa laughed, making Kuroo scowl and Iwaizumi's face burn crimson.

Before Iwaizumi could add his own obligatory protest to confirm what Oikawa said was true but in a much more diplomatic way, Oikawa had grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the door, turning back once to wave goodbye to Kuroo. Iwaizumi dutifully kept his head faced forward.

He tried to ignore Oikawa's fingers against his own but it was a lot more difficult than he expected it to be, especially when Oikawa curled them and squeezed his palm. When Iwaizumi looked down at their wrapped hands before looking to Oikawa in surprise, he was met by a happy smile, Oikawa's eyes closed and lips stretched from one cheek to another.  

He swore his heart skipped a beat at the sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time:  
> \- detours on the way home  
> \- hashing out their feelings
> 
> comments/kudos are always appreciated! ♡
> 
> come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

Somewhere between the walk from Ushijima’s house to the train station, Oikawa's feet had started moving in a zigzag pattern and as a result, Iwaizumi was dragged along with him. It was fine at first, but after the third time that Iwaizumi had to yank Oikawa's hand,  _hard_ , to prevent him from walking straight into a lamppost he knew he had to do something.

“Oikawa, stop,” he said, feet planted on the sidewalk firmly. It got Oikawa's attention and made him halt his movements too.

“What’s wrong?” Oikawa asked, tilting his head to the side.

He looked very much like a kitten when he did that and it made Iwaizumi's brain and lungs stop working together for the briefest of seconds. There was no denying that Oikawa Tooru was  _cute_  and somehow, Iwaizumi had found himself the victim of that fact before he could even comprehend it.

A part of him didn’t mind but another part was annoyed at his lack of self-preservation. Ah well, fuck it. It was too late for him to pretend that Oikawa didn’t have an effect on him.

“You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep walking the way you are. Come on, I’ll carry you,” he said, jerking his head backwards to indicate that he wanted Oikawa to get on.

Oikawa's eyes widened in surprise. “Really?” he gaped.

“I’m not going to ask again. Get on or I’m leaving you,” he grumbled, face heating up at his own boldness.

To be fair, he had offered to carry Oikawa for his own safety but now that Iwaizumi thought about it, he supposed he did get used to and miss Oikawa's warmth against him. God, that was so embarrassing. He couldn’t believe the inappropriate thoughts that filed through his brain while he crouched down on one knee and waited for Oikawa to get on his back.

Iwaizumi knew that as an athlete, Oikawa was expected to maintain his body and with his height, he was definitely going to be somewhat heavy. But Iwaizumi also frequented the gym regularly and he was pretty damn proud of his upper body strength. Still, when Oikawa let out a surprised sound and said, “Wow, Iwa-chan is so strong!” it made him feel self-conscious.

He was glad that Oikawa couldn’t see the redness on his cheeks. Then again, he wasn’t sure if Oikawa was going to even remember any of this. Iwaizumi could only assume that he and the rest of the team had had their own mini-celebration before arriving at the party.

“Shut up,” he mumbled, surprised that Oikawa didn’t argue back.

The walk to the train station was quiet after that. Although Iwaizumi was grateful for the silence because it was a precautionary measure that would prevent him from saying anything embarrassing, it also left him feeling jittery and nervous because he was far too aware of Oikawa's presence and the fact that they were alone.

Although Oikawa himself hadn’t said anything to Iwaizumi about liking him, the way he had acted tonight had been proof enough. Adding on the fact that Kuroo had been way too protective, Iwaizumi believed everything that his friends and roommate had said to him about Oikawa.

He couldn’t deny that Oikawa was attractive and although his personality had been beyond obnoxious at first, he had grown on Iwaizumi in the past few days. The way their opinions clashed way too often made him a little nervous, but then again, opposites did attract, right?

He resisted the urge to groan, thankful that the train station was near now and he had an excuse to use his brain to figure out the line they needed to get on to get back home rather than let it tumble through the pros and cons of liking Oikawa.

Iwaizumi let Oikawa down from his back a few steps outside the station entrance. For a moment, he panicked, thinking that Oikawa would reach for his hand again but when Oikawa didn't, a rush of disappointed washed over him.  _Stupid_ , he reminded himself.

He knew what he wanted but he also didn't want to ask Oikawa out when he was drunk. That was the worst possible thing he could do considering the likelihood of Oikawa remembering what Iwaizumi asked him was uncertain. Besides, he could just be projecting on Iwaizumi, and although he knew that was a farfetched thought, Iwaizumi never ignored all the possibilities.

“Hey, that’s the wrong way,” Iwaizumi chided, jogging a few steps to catch up to Oikawa. He put a hand on his shoulder, retracting it when Oikawa turned around.

“No, it’s not,” he said firmly. “Trust me.”

Iwaizumi sighed. “No, Oikawa,  _you_  trust  _me_. Home is  _that_  way,” he insisted, turning Oikawa's head towards opposite side of the station.

Oikawa started laughing loudly, which earned a few stares from people passing by in their direction. Iwaizumi closed his eyes, waiting for Oikawa's amusement to die down.

“Where are you going?” he asked, somewhat tetchily when Oikawa resumed walking toward the wrong subway line.

“Who said we were going home?” Oikawa asked flippantly.

“ _What_?” Iwaizumi shouted. “You did,” he deadpanned. “Remember, you told Kuroo that you wanted me to take you home,” he recalled.

“Oh,” Oikawa said. “I guess I did tell Kuroo that. But that was then. Now I want to go to Okutama,” he explained.

“ _Why_?” Iwaizumi sighed. That was in the middle of nowhere.

The only reason he even knew about the place was because that’s where his grandparents had spent a few months after their retirement before moving back to Kiyose. Iwaizumi had visited once last year with his grandparents and it was a relatively nice town,  _small_  but very welcoming.

Oikawa looked around before waving Iwaizumi closer. He brought his hands up to his mouth to whisper something, which Iwaizumi shouldn’t have been surprised by when he was met by a not so quiet, “ _Aliens_.”

He was cute when he was sober, even cuter when he was drunk and his face held a semi-permanent glow, but there was no way that Iwaizumi was going to let Oikawa go all the way to Okutama  _just because_  he thought Oikawa was cute.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said as carefully as possible. “Okutama takes two and a half hours to get to and it’s midnight. I don’t think the buses even run that late there.”

Iwaizumi was mildly afraid that Oikawa was going to get angry with him but he only pouted, looking crestfallen. It made him want to hug Oikawa until his frown turned up in a smile so he did the only thing he could think of.

“Let’s go to the Chinzanso garden instead,” he offered in a moment of weakness.

Oikawa thought over the proposal, smiling and nodding at Iwaizumi to show that he accepted. It wasn’t exactly an  _alien_  spot. Not that Iwaizumi believed anything was, but he figured Oikawa wanted to be out in nature and that was the closest thing to nature they could get in Tokyo. Besides, it was on their way home and if Iwaizumi could convince Oikawa to slowly make his way back to the university then he’d play along with Oikawa's alien-hunting obsession.

“Won’t it be closed?” Oikawa asked once they were seated on the train. Iwaizumi gave Oikawa the seat closest to the window, fearing that he would slip off the seat otherwise with the way he kept sliding closer to Iwaizumi with every passing station.

Shit, he hadn’t thought about the garden being closed. It was accessible to the public during the day but at night, the only way to get in was through Chinzanso hotel itself.

Iwaizumi looked down at his clothes then back to Oikawa whose face was still flushed, sporting an acquiescent smile. The Chinzanso hotel had a five-star rating; there was no way the staff was going to let them in, let alone let them make it all the way to the garden. But Oikawa looked so  _happy_  at the prospect of going to the garden and well, it beat trying to convince Oikawa not to go all the way to Okutama.

“Probably,” Iwaizumi admitted, laughing nervously.

“Are we going to sneak in?” Oikawa asked, interest piqued.

“You wanna?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa breathed, nodding his head up and down with such vigour that Iwaizumi had to place his hand on top of Oikawa’s head lest he caused a crick to form in his neck.

Well, at least if he got kicked out it would be for a good cause. Iwaizumi was finding out, much to his own horror, that it was very difficult for him to say ‘no’ to Oikawa. He recalled thinking about how Oikawa wasn’t the kind of person who was denied and well, while most of it could have been due to the way he held himself and knew how to get what he wanted on purpose, some of it was also just natural charm.

Right now while he was the most open he had been around Iwaizumi was easily his most bewitching state.

“Okay,” Iwaizumi agreed.

“Iwa-chan’s such a rebel,” Oikawa sighed, tilting his head onto Iwaizumi's shoulder and promptly closing his eyes.

Iwaizumi had never been called a rebel before and in all honesty, that was the farthest thing he was. Matsukawa had once joked that if he were catholic he would have been proclaimed a saint when he died. Iwaizumi just hoped that he was reincarnated as something cool.

But something about Oikawa's tone made Iwaizumi feel embarrassed and proud all at the same time. Oikawa was prim and proper, from his clothes to his manner of speaking. Encouraging Oikawa to sneak into private property –  _enabling_  him – made Iwaizumi think that maybe between the two of them he  _was_  a bad influence.

He let Oikawa continue resting until their stop arrived. Oikawa was much more complacent than he was earlier until they reached the hotel; then, his excitement kicked in and he was practically vibrating.

“I can’t believe we’re going to see aliens,” he said, looping his arm through Iwaizumi's and squeezing tightly.

Iwaizumi held his tongue, fighting the urge to tell Oikawa that there were absolutely no aliens here. There were no aliens  _anywhere_  but that wasn’t the argument he wanted to get into right now. They’d have plenty of time to butt heads on the topic when they were actually working on their project.

“They won’t let us in if you’re too loud,” Iwaizumi warned. “Just… stay quiet until we’re in the garden then you can talk. And walk like you’re actually staying in a room here, okay? You  _look_  like you would,” he hummed, eyes widening when he realized what he had just said.

“You think I look nice?” Oikawa grinned, not missing the slip-up.

“Y-yes,” Iwaizumi agreed.

He had never been good at lying, anyway. He was worried that Oikawa was going to press him on the topic but he was happy hearing that Iwaizumi thought he looked good. He nodded his head, putting on his most serious face possible.

“I think you look nice too,” he said honestly, then before Iwaizumi had a chance to react he continued, “Okay, ready,” he said, lifting both hands into a salute.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help the snort that escaped him at the sight. “Come on, just keep up with my pace and nod your head while I’m talking to you, okay?” He brought Oikawa's hands down to his side, contemplating whether he should hold one of them to make sure Oikawa followed but he figured that would bring more attention to them than let them blend into the crowd.

A little past midnight, there really wasn’t a crowd for them to blend  _into_. While that meant the hotel lobby was a lot less busy, it also meant there was fewer staff to call them out.

Iwaizumi was pleasantly surprised when the security guard at the front door didn’t stop them. He gently guided Oikawa away from the revolving doors and towards the normal door instead, trying not to laugh at the way Oikawa's face fell at having been denied a few rounds in the revolving door.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered.

“What is it?” Iwaizumi asked,

“This place is really fancy. Are you sure we can look like we’re staying here?” Oikawa pulled at his sweater nervously.

Iwaizumi looked around to the vaulted ceilings and the large chandelier that looked like it cost at least a million dollars itself. The floor was shiny, the walls were pristine and he felt squeamish just  _thinking_  about sitting on one of the couches that decorated the hotel lobby. Oikawa was right; this place  _was_  fancy but it was too late to back out now. He had promised Oikawa they could go to the Chinzanso garden and Iwaizumi didn’t feel like being made out as a liar.

“Yes,” he confirmed, even though he didn’t feel very confident at all.

He would never do this on a whim. He would never do this  _planned_  either. So what made Oikawa special, then? Iwaizumi found the answer was something he knew all along, ever since he first saw Oikawa in class. He was smart and charming; he had a magnetic pull that made everyone want to befriend him and Iwaizumi's insistence that Oikawa was  _annoying_  was because Oikawa hadn’t given him the attention he craved.

It sounded pathetic when he admitted to his own jealousy but having Oikawa with him  _now_  sort of made up for it.

“Have a good night, sirs,” the receptionist said loudly, startling Iwaizumi.

“You too!” Oikawa returned the greeting cheerfully before Iwaizumi could.

Iwaizumi supposed he should have trusted Oikawa to know what he was doing when there were aliens involved even if he was drunk. The thought was amusing and made him smile but he kept it hidden from Oikawa's gaze.

Instead of going up in the elevators, Iwaizumi noticed the sign that pointed towards the garden. He had never been inside the Chinzanso garden, let alone tried to get in through the hotel so it was somewhat of a miracle that they managed to get there without taking too many wrong turns.

Stepping foot inside made him realize just why it was part of such an expensive hotel. Although it was empty the lights were still on, reds and golds and oranges splaying across the trees and the walkways.

“This is so  _pretty_ ,” Oikawa sighed, promptly walking onto the bridge.

He leaned over the side, stomach digging into the railing. Iwaizumi would have been content to watch him from afar if it wasn’t for the fact that he was worried Oikawa was going to lose his balance and fall into the stream below.

“Do aliens like places like this?” Iwaizumi asked.

He wasn’t sure why he was humouring Oikawa but the sincere smile he gave Iwaizumi at the question was worth it. Even if he had to listen to Oikawa babble on about aliens after that.

“I think so,” Oikawa said, standing up straight again. He held his chin in his hand contemplatively. “I don’t know how they’d land here since there’s not much room, but I think they’d come seek it out regardless. It’s very beautiful and warm, huh?” he asked, trailing a hand over the red-painted wooden railing.  

“It is,” Iwaizumi agreed, tearing his gaze away from the warm colours dancing across Oikawa's cheeks and hair.

“Let’s go over there,” Oikawa pointed to the where Iwaizumi could see the top story of the pagoda peaking out. “If aliens  _were_  here it would definitely be there,” he said, as if that kind of reason was going to convince Iwaizumi.

Still, he didn’t protest, even though it looked far.  _It’s because you get to spend time with Oikawa_ , his mind supplied, which made him flush visibly.

So  _maybe_  that’s why he had entertained the idea of not taking Oikawa straight home.

It took them a while to get to the pagoda in the middle of the garden but Iwaizumi found that he wasn’t all that concerned about the time. They didn’t see anyone else and considering the time, he supposed they shouldn’t have been there either. But the fact that the doors to the garden were open made Iwaizumi feel a little bit better about ‘breaking the rules.’

Oikawa was happy at any rate, and the longer they stayed in the garden, the more coordinated his walking became. Iwaizumi's tension eased up as Oikawa sobered up but a part of him couldn’t help but think that maybe Oikawa only liked him when he was drunk and not thinking straight.

It wasn’t true, but the doubt in his brain was starting to hinder his logic.

When Oikawa pulled out his phone and asked Iwaizumi to take pictures, he did without a second thought. Even though he wasn’t fond of being in pictures himself he had always had an eye for the correct angles. Oikawa's reactions to his photographs also boosted his ego a little and made him want to show off a little more so he took as many pictures as Oikawa asked until they finally reached the pagoda.

“We didn’t see any aliens,” Oikawa sighed, tilting his head back to take in the architecture.

“No,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Maybe next time.”

“In Okutama?” Oikawa hedged.

Iwaizumi chuckled. “You really want to go to Okutama, huh? Or is it just that you want to see aliens that badly?” he corrected.

“Of course I want to see aliens! How cool would that be? It’s my  _dream_. Right after becoming a professional volleyball player,” he said.

“I know you can do it,” Iwaizumi encouraged.

Oikawa snapped his head towards Iwaizumi. “Are you saying you believe in aliens?” he asked in surprise.

“I believe in  _you_.”

Oikawa pressed his lips together tightly. Goddammit, that had been so  _lame_. Iwaizumi didn’t know why had even said that but the words had come out of his mouth before his brain to mouth filter could kick in. He waited for Oikawa to say something but with ever passing second of silence his palms grew sweatier and he was inching closer to just running out of the garden –  _literally_.

“This is where you’re supposed to kiss me,” Oikawa stated bluntly.

“ _What_?”

He couldn’t have heard that right.

“Or are you saying you don’t like me?” Oikawa frowned.

“No!” Iwaizumi shouted, a little too loudly. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“So you  _do_  want to kiss me?” Oikawa clarified.

Iwaizumi wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. But a part of him knew that Oikawa wasn’t joking and that part wished that this moment had happened at a different time where he  _could_  kiss Oikawa without feeling guilty.

“I do want to kiss you, okay?” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just… you’ve been drinking, right?”

Oikawa wrinkled his eyebrows together. “Yes. Are you not going to kiss me because I taste like alcohol?” he frowned. “I guess that makes sense even though–  _hey_ , you were drinking too!” he said, pointing an accusing finger in Iwaizumi's direction.

“That’s not why, dumbass,” Iwaizumi clucked his tongue, ducking his eyes down to his feet. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his jeans, taking a few moments to get his nerve back before he lifted his head to meet Oikawa's gaze again.

“I like you, so I’m going to ask you out when you’re completely sober and I’ll kiss you after you go out on a date with me.”

It sounded stupid, but Iwaizumi was adamant about his morals. It would have been easy to kiss Oikawa right now and maybe Oikawa really did want him to – Iwaizumi sure as hell knew that he’d like to feel Oikawa's lips against his own – but that didn’t mean that it was  _okay_  for him to. He was only supposed to be walking him home to make sure he got back alright; it felt dishonest if he did anything more than that.

Oikawa grinned at Iwaizumi's response, cheeks tinged pink with a fresh glow. “Who says I’ll want to wait that long?” he quipped.

“I mean, I guess it’s your loss, ” Iwaizumi joked.

The second the words were out of his mouth he wished he could take them back. The last thing he wanted was for Oikawa to think that  _Oikawa_  was the lucky one if Iwaizumi asked him out. Oikawa was athletic, smart, handsome to boot. If anything, he was getting the short end of the stick going out with Iwaizumi.

It was that kind of negative thinking that Hanamaki always tried to squash out of him so for the first time in his life, Iwaizumi allowed himself to heed Hanamaki’s advice and deter the cynicism.

“I was joking, you know that, right?” Iwaizumi asked stiffly when Oikawa didn’t respond.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding. You really  _do_  like me,” he grinned, nudging Iwaizumi's shoulder lightly with his own. “Okay, I guess somewhere deep down I always knew Iwa-chan was a gentleman so I should have seen this coming. I’ll hold you to it though. You better ask me out as soon as possible,” Oikawa warned.

“I will,” he promised. “Come on,” he said, eyes flicking down to the watch on his wrist. “It’s getting late and I think Kuroo will kill me if he gets home before you do.”

It might have sounded like a joke – it made Oikawa laugh at any rate – but Iwaizumi didn’t want to risk being on Kuroo's bad side. From what he knew, Kuroo was a generally easy going guy but he and Oikawa were close.  _And_  Oikawa also had his other roommate, Bokuto, whom Iwaizumi had learned had spikes that were not to be messed with.

He shuddered at the thought of having to face the wrath both of Oikawa's roommates. While Iwaizumi had no reason to believe they were mean people, he wouldn’t put it past either of them to get in his face if they thought he had threatened Oikawa in some way. It was nice knowing that he was someone with a likeable personality. After all, that was the only way he could have such supportive friends.

As much as Iwaizumi liked to complain about Hanamaki and Matsukawa, they  _were_  his best friends and he knew they’d do the same for him if they thought Oikawa was the one threatening him.

But now he was just getting ahead of himself.

“Iwa-chan, I want to take a selfie,” Oikawa proclaimed, just as they reached the middle of the bridge on their way back to the hotel.

Normally, Iwaizumi would have declined but he couldn’t find it in himself to say ‘no’ this time around. He nodded, complying to Oikawa's wish, even allowing Oikawa to tell him how to pose. In the end, he didn’t let Oikawa make him do a silly face but he  _did_  smile, and when Oikawa promptly put the photo as a display icon for Iwaizumi's contact, he swore his heart swelled in size, pumping furiously.

It beat even faster when Oikawa slipped his fingers between Iwaizumi's own and refused to let go, even when Iwaizumi insisted that sneaking out of the hotel would be easier if they weren’t walking side by side.

But he liked the feeling of Oikawa's hand in his, even if their feelings had yet to be confirmed in a state where Iwaizumi was  _certain_  what whatever this was between them meant. He also liked listening to Oikawa hum, even if it was off-tune and not a song that Iwaizumi recognized.

He had never minded walking in silence but around Oikawa, Iwaizumi found that the last thing he wanted was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for teasing you at the end here and also in the last chapter >.< but that slow burn is slow... maybe not for too much longer though :3
> 
> \- conversations from the morning after  
> \- unexpected weekend plans
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated! ♡
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, if you've noticed, I've changed the # of chapters from 10 to 11... mostly because I didn't think I could fit the ending into chapter 10 >.< but, we're still more than halfway there!
> 
> also, I sincerely apologize for not responding to last chapter's comments yet! this week was kinda busy for me, getting used to moving back home and job hunting >.<

When Oikawa woke up the next morning, sunlight streaming through his open curtains, he groaned loudly, pulling the covers up over his head in an attempt to block out the bright light. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fall back asleep but the nagging headache that he knew wouldn’t go away until he took some medicine and ate some food prevented him from returning to his dream.

He  _wished_  he could go back to sleep because he had been having such a nice dream where Iwaizumi had  _actually_  taken him up on the offer to kiss him and –  _oh shit_ , Oikawa had actually told him he could last night.

 _What the fuck_?

He pulled his legs up to his stomach, letting out a pathetic grunt. Well, that was just embarrassing. On the bright side, if Oikawa remembered correctly, Iwaizumi had said that he liked him. But the fact that Oikawa had embarrassed himself didn’t go unnoticed by his brain as invisible hives started to spread all over his skin. He felt that familiar, uncomfortable urge to itch his entire body.

He  _hated_  feeling embarrassed. He was a generally unapologetic person but the few times that he did feel embarrassed to the point where he wished he could take back something he had said, his body treated the thought as an allergy. He wasn’t even really allergic to anything, so he supposed it was only fair that his ‘allergy’ was to embarrassment, but that didn't make the feeling any more bearable.

For a few moments, Oikawa rolled from side to side, trying to find a patch of cold on his bed sheets in order to relieve the itchiness. When it didn’t work, he threw open his covers and slid off the bed. It was almost 11 am, which wasn’t all that late  _especially_  considering how much he’d had to drink last night and how late he had gotten back home. He remembered getting to the Chinzanso hotel somewhere past midnight and spending at least an hour if not more in there.

Realistically, he knew that waking up at this time was still a little too late. While he didn’t have practice today, tomorrow they had to be back at the gym at 6 am and he knew that his internal clock was already unsettled.

Oikawa scrolled through his notifications, marking all the congratulatory ones as read. He’d reply to them later but the one person he  _did_  want a text from hadn’t sent him anything. Oikawa tried not to let the wave of disappointment that washed over him ruin his mood but he couldn’t deny that he had sort of expected Iwaizumi to send him  _something_ , especially after they had basically confessed to one another last night.

Maybe Iwaizumi didn’t think it was a confession. He was unarguably conscientious; Oikawa liked that about him, but the part that was impatient just wished Iwaizumi would screw his morals.

He sighed, knowing that there was no use in beating himself up about something he had no control over. He’d just have to be tolerant… even though there wasn’t a patient bone in his body.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Kuroo grinned as Oikawa walked into the kitchen, hair standing up everywhere, much to Kuroo's amusement. Unlike Kuroo, who took wore his bed hair with pride, it took Oikawa a shower and a hairdryer for his hair to fall down the way he wanted.

His face twisted into an unamused scowl at the nickname. “Don’t call me that,” Oikawa protested, opening up the fridge. “Ugh,” he groaned, noticing the array of food that his brain refused to acknowledge. He closed the door quickly and dropped his forehead against it. At least it was cold and made his head feel a little better.

“Here,” Kuroo said, sliding him a glass of water and an Advil.

“Thanks,” Oikawa mumbled, swallowing the pill. “How come you’re not dying?” he asked, jealous of Kuroo's ability to be awake and functional.

“That’s because I’m not an idiot and didn’t drink as much as you did,” he laughed unapologetically. “I hope some good came out of the liquid courage though. I mean, I haven’t seen you that clingy in a long time,” he hummed, much to Oikawa's chagrin.

He felt the embarrassment flare up all over his skin again. “Shut up!” he whined, holding his pounding head in his hands, momentarily forgetting about his pain.

“Don’t be a dick, Kuroo,” Bokuto said coming up to wrap a broad arm around Oikawa's shoulder. “I made a smoothie, want one?” he offered, jerking his head to the kitchen table where an untouched glass sat.

Oikawa nodded, thanking Bokuto. He stuck his tongue out at Kuroo who only rolled his eyes in response. Oikawa didn’t think his friends were going to sit with him – the dishes in the sink told him that they had already eaten their breakfast – but he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when they took the seat directly across from him and next to him.

He narrowed his eyes, suspicious of their behaviour but when they didn’t immediately say something, he lifted the drink to his lips and took two gulps.

“So,” Bokuto started. “We ran into Iwaizumi on our way home. He was just leaving the apartment,” he said, failing to be discreet.

Oikawa rolled his eyes.  _Of course_  that’s what they wanted to talk about. Although he wasn’t startled by the subject, a hint of annoyance settled on his face.

“Do we need to talk to him?” Bokuto asked, reading Oikawa's expression.

“No,” Oikawa mumbled. “Don’t do that. Then he’ll probably never talk to me again.”

“So you  _didn’t_  have sex with him?” Kuroo pressed.

“The asshole wouldn’t even kiss me,” he said dejectedly.

It was embarrassing but then again, whom else was he supposed to share his embarrassing stories with? Kuroo and Bokuto weren’t exempt from their fair share of humiliating tales and while Oikawa wasn’t the worst among the three of them, their friendship was built around their trust in one another.  

Oikawa hadn’t expected to get along with Kuroo and Bokuto as well as he had when he had first met them in their first year. They had grown up in Tokyo and were already friends so when Oikawa was introduced to them as his new roommates he had felt that maybe he would be the odd one out.

But they were easygoing, friendly, and welcoming. Coming to a new prefecture and having to make new friends was daunting but Oikawa was lucky that he met people he could get along with so easily.

Kuroo and Bokuto burst out into laughter at Oikawa's admission, slamming the table loudly with their open palms.

“That’s not funny!” Oikawa exclaimed, kicking their legs under the table. “There’s got to be something wrong with me,” he frowned, throwing his head down on his arms, resting them against the table.

“Oh hey, Oikawa, come on, we’re sorry,” Bokuto apologized, prodding his bicep.

The laughter immediately died down around him; Oikawa almost felt bad for ruining the mood but then again, his friends  _were_  laughing at his expense so he felt like he had a right to dictate the atmosphere.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Kuroo insisted. “If anything, there’s something wrong with  _him_ ,” he said supportively.

Oikawa lips twitched slightly. He lifted his head back up and gave his friends a watery smile. “Thanks.”

“Aww, if you cry then I’ll cry!” Bokuto frowned, throwing two arms over Oikawa's shoulder in a side hug. Oikawa laughed, accepting the affection.

“You know, Iwaizumi told me that he likes me but he didn’t want to kiss me because I was drunk. He didn’t explicitly say this, but I think he thought that he would be taking advantage of me,” Oikawa sighed, chewing his bottom lip.

“Oh what the fuck, you asshole,” Kuroo groaned in his seat across from him. “I thought you were sad because he didn’t like you  _at all_. You’re so dramatic, just give him some time,” he rolled his eyes.

“He could have just been trying to be nice,” Oikawa reminded. “Besides, I thought you didn’t even like him.”

“I didn’t because he was a dick,” Kuroo admitted, not holding back on the honesty. “But, clearly he was just too flustered by his own feelings to realize he was acting like a jerk, so he’s forgiven for all of his previous mistakes.”

“You only like him now because he didn’t sleep with me,” Oikawa sulked.

“That too,” Kuroo laughed, yelping when he felt Oikawa kick him under the table.

“Come on, go shower and we can go get a proper lunch,” Bokuto smiled, cutting off the budding argument.

While sometimes Kuroo took the teasing too far, Bokuto was the voice of reason that kept them all from biting each other’s heads off. He nudged Oikawa away from the dining table and towards the bathroom.

Oikawa protested dutifully but did as he was told. Even though his phone remained empty of new texts from Iwaizumi, the day wasn’t over yet and Oikawa was hopeful that he’d at least get to talk to him by the end of the day. So, with that kind of optimism, he put the empty smoothie glass in the sink and walked off to take a shower.

* * *

Five days later and Oikawa still hadn’t gotten any new texts from Iwaizumi. He hadn’t even showed up to their astronomy lecture that Wednesday, which made it very obvious that he was avoiding Oikawa.

To say that Oikawa was annoyed was an understatement. Iwaizumi could have told him he’d kiss him only after asking him out to appease him and as embarrassing as that was it was  _okay_  if Iwaizumi didn’t like him. But the fact that he was straight up ignoring Oikawa was not acceptable.

Oikawa had been obsessively checking his phone all week and  _nothing_. Not even a message to talk to him about their  _project_ , which was the reason they had started talking in the first place. He knew he could have taken the initiative to send Iwaizumi a text but Oikawa didn’t cope well with being ignored, especially by someone he liked.

As pathetic as it was, the longer Iwaizumi ignored him, the more Oikawa's desire for him grew. Kuroo claimed he was a masochist, Bokuto was much nicer and explained it with some psychological jargon he didn’t quite understand. Oikawa wasn’t sure he believed either of them, even if Bokuto was majoring in psychology. Mostly, he just wanted to know where he and Iwaizumi stood and the longer the week dragged on, the more his frustration accumulated.

By Friday afternoon, Oikawa had made up his mind.

Screw waiting on Iwaizumi to say something; Oikawa was going to march up to him after his class and demand an answer, whether it was positive or negative. It may not have been the best way to go about the situation but at least it would answer his questions.

Last week, Oikawa and Iwaizumi had lunch together, which was why Oikawa knew that Iwaizumi only had one class after the lunch break on Fridays. He felt a little stalkerish pacing outside the health science building, playing with his phone to watch the minutes tick by but as the doors to the school building opened and the hoard of students dismissed from class started to file out, Oikawa adopted an uncontested focus.

He lost some of his determination however, when he noticed Matsukawa with Iwaizumi, but he took a few deep breaths and marched resolutely towards the duo anyway.

He didn’t miss the look of surprise on Iwaizumi's face when he spotted Oikawa but he didn’t ignore him, which Oikawa took as a promising sign. The fact that Iwaizumi  _knew_  he had fucked up – if the guilty expression on his face was anything to go by – made Oikawa's fury rise.

He had initially come here with the intention of asking Iwaizumi to his face whether he liked him or not but now he just wanted to know why he had been ignored for so many days when Iwaizumi  _knew_  that wasn’t the right thing to do.

“You’re on your own here, man,” Matsukawa raised his hands defensively, following Iwaizumi's line of sight. “Do me a favour Oikawa and don’t go easy on him,” Matsukawa clapped his shoulder, waving goodbye.

Oikawa turned his head quickly a few times, registering what Matsukawa had said a little too late. So Iwaizumi had talked about him to his friends. He narrowed his eyes, lips stretched thin in anger.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said thickly. “I’m–”

“ _Sorry_?” Oikawa said, cutting him off.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi nodded guiltily. “Listen, I know you’re mad at me for ignoring you and that was a really shitty thing to do but I was embarrassed,” he admitted, rubbing the side of his neck.

Oikawa noticed the flush that was creeping up his neck and he was inclined to believe Iwaizumi but he had a bad habit of working himself up to the point of no return.

“ _Seriously_?  _You_  were embarrassed,” he deadpanned. “What about me? Do you know how humiliating it is to be left hanging? I  _told you_  I liked you and you just ignored me. It would have been nice to be let down so I’m not left hanging,” Oikawa crossed his arms over his chest.

“I – you’re right,” Iwaizumi agreed, swallowing heavily. His Adam’s apple bobbed and Oikawa could tell he was nervous but that didn’t take away from the fact that he had been a jerk. “But you’re, well  _you_  and I’m just me. How was I supposed to believe you meant what you said?”

The implication in his words hurt. Oikawa's eyes lost some of their earlier aggression and an unshakeable doubt replaced the built up confidence.

“You must really think I’m a terrible person, huh?” he asked sadly.

“No, of course not!” Iwaizumi defended.

“I’d prefer it if you didn't lie to my face,” Oikawa's voice turned hard.

Rejection, while it stung, was something he could come to accept. Having someone lie to his face was downright insulting. He may have been cheerful most of the time but that didn’t mean he was incapable of telling people off.

“You’re not getting what I’m trying to say,” Iwaizumi said, exasperated. Oikawa opened his mouth to snap at Iwaizumi but the other man put two hands on Oikawa's shoulders, bringing their gazes together. “I  _like_  you. I want to go out with you, and it would make me very happy if you agreed,” he said bluntly.

“B-but—” Oikawa gaped, shocked and kind of reluctant to believe that Iwaizumi meant what he had just said.

“I didn’t text you because I was afraid  _you’d_  reject  _me_ ,” Iwaizumi said. “Stupid, right?” he laughed nervously. “I mean, you’re Oikawa Tooru for fuck’s sake.”

After five days of letting his anger build up, Oikawa didn’t think it would be this easy for him to just  _forget_. Yet with Iwaizumi standing in front of him –  _so close to him_  – he couldn’t quite remember why he was angry with the other man in the first place. A part of him knew he was being easy; if Kuroo were here, he’d tell him to stop letting people take advantage of him.

But Oikawa couldn’t quite bring himself to believe that Iwaizumi was the kind of person who would screw with his feelings on purpose like that. Sure, he was a little brash and kind of hard to read but he had been very noble Saturday night, and Oikawa was having a hard time accepting that it had been an act back then.

Besides, he  _really_  wanted to believe what Iwaizumi had just said, and not only because it made him feel warm and adored.

His expression softened and a small smile crossed his lips. “You  _are_  stupid,” he confirmed, ignoring Iwaizumi's sounds of protest. “But I still like you so what does that make me?” he teased.

“Definitely the stupider one between us,” Iwaizumi said, face breaking out into a relieved smile.

Oikawa laughed loudly at the banter. He was perfectly aware of the proximity between him and Iwaizumi but instead of making him anxious, it just made him feel  _happy_.

“Can I kiss you?” Iwaizumi asked, breaking Oikawa out of his trance.

“Nu-uh,” Oikawa shook his head. “I distinctly remember you saying that you’d only kiss me after we had a date. This doesn’t feel very much like a date to me,” he smiled, amusement growing at the disgruntled expression on Iwaizumi's face.

“How would you know you recall what I said correctly, anyway? You were drunk, remember?” Iwaizumi challenged.

“Am I wrong though?” Oikawa asked, grinning widely when Iwaizumi's frustration proved to him that he was right.

He liked how honest Iwaizumi was. It was jarring how blunt he could be but it was also refreshing to know that Iwaizumi didn’t sugar coat his words. The candour had taken Oikawa aback at first, but he was starting to find that he  _liked_  how Iwaizumi could continue to surprise him even when he knew to expect it.

“Fine,” he agreed begrudgingly. “Will you please go out with me?” he asked.

Oikawa laughed lightly. “I thought we already established that!” he closed his eyes, hoping to hide some of his embarrassment.

Unlike that morning, it wasn’t the kind of embarrassment he disliked.  _This_  made him happy and warm, especially when he opened his eyes and found Iwaizumi's dark green irises gazing kindly at him.

He fell silent under Iwaizumi's ardent regard. “Are you free this weekend?” Iwaizumi asked seriously.

“Yes,” Oikawa smiled. “Exams start in two weeks so the coaches are giving us a bit of a break,” Oikawa beamed.

Iwaizumi grinned at the information but before he could elaborate, his phone rang, breaking the magnetic trance that they had found themselves in. “Hang on, it’s my sister,” he said in apology, reaching to answer his phone.

He took two steps back from Oikawa, giving him space that Oikawa found he didn’t quite want. This was the first time Iwaizumi had mentioned a sister, however and curiosity piqued, Oikawa tried not to look too interested.

“Hi Minako,” Iwaizumi greeted, smiling warmly despite the fact that his sister wasn’t there to see his reaction.

Oikawa didn’t know much about Iwaizumi or his family, but from the familiar way he spoke to his sister, Oikawa could tell that they were close.

The fondness turned into frustration in a heartbeat. “ _No_ , I never said that. Come on, you know I’m busy,” he said, obviously disgruntled.

It was strange to hear only one side of the conversation. Oikawa suddenly wished he had excused himself because he felt like the phone call was turning private.

“Fine,” Iwaizumi sighed. “You win, happy? I’ll come,” he promised. He said goodbye, staring at his locked phone screen for a few seconds before he looked towards Oikawa hopefully. “You said you’re not busy this weekend, right?”  

“That’s right.”

“Ever been to Kiyose? It’s not Okutama but you said you wanted to go on a date and I’d feel terrible for making you wait again since I was being an idiot this past week, but my grandparents live in this traditional house so they’ve got a huge garden in the back and I know it’s a long shot but I figured you liked the Chinzanso garden so…” Iwaizumi trailed off, losing his enthusiasm as he prattled on, ending his explanation prematurely.

Oikawa's eyes widened in surprise. “Are you asking if I want to go home with you?”

“Sounds pretty forward, huh? Forget it,” Iwaizumi said, putting his phone back into his pocket.

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa said quickly. He cleared his throat, “I mean, yes I want to go to Kiyose. You’re going for the weekend?” he asked, recalling bits and pieces of the conversation Iwaizumi just had with his sister.

Iwaizumi paused, looking at Oikawa unsurely. It made him feel self-conscious for agreeing so easily. Was he not supposed to? If Iwaizumi made him wait until Monday to ask him out  _again_ , Oikawa was going to lose it. He knew it was his own fault for making Iwaizumi stick to his original statement about only kissing him after they had a date, but the sentiment was sweet and no one had done anything like that for him before.

Besides, Iwaizumi must have  _really_  meant it when he said he liked Oikawa if he was willing to let him visit his home.

“Yeah. I was planning on leaving tonight after the evening rush was over and we can come back Sunday night, if that’s okay with you? It takes less than an hour and half from Korakuen station,” Iwaizumi promised.

“Okay,” Oikawa agreed. “Are you sure I’m allowed to visit? Don’t you have to tell your parents that I’m coming first?” Oikawa asked, nervousness starting to hit him at the realization of just  _what_  he had agreed to.

They were… friends? Oikawa wasn’t sure if he could call them that yet but he knew he liked Iwaizumi as  _more_  than that and Iwaizumi had made his intentions clear too. Still, meeting Iwaizumi's parents as his friend would have been far easier than trying to explain what they were right now.

They hadn’t even gone on a date yet! Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed so easily but the look of relief that had crossed Iwaizumi's face when Oikawa consented to his proposal wasn’t something Oikawa wanted to take away. Besides, a part of him was proud of the fact that Iwaizumi liked him enough to allow him to meet his family.

“Grandparents,” Iwaizumi corrected. “And my sister, but I don’t need her permission,” he added, more to himself than Oikawa. “My parents passed away six years ago,” he explained, noticing Oikawa's confusion.

“Oh,” Oikawa said stupidly. “I’m sorry, Iwa-chan, I didn’t know,” he frowned.

“It’s okay,” Iwaizumi dismissed the apology. “Like you said, you didn’t know. Hey, come on Oikawa don’t get all sad on me now. It’s fine – well, not fine but you get what I mean. It’s not your fault and my grandparents are pretty awesome so I can’t complain,” he smiled, reaching for Oikawa's hand hesitantly.

Oikawa beamed, humbled by Iwaizumi's sincerity. “Let me go home and pack. And tell Kuroo and Bokuto I’ll be gone this weekend.”

“I’ll walk you home,” Iwaizumi said, more of a statement than a question.

Still, Oikawa couldn’t help that he nodded and whispered a quiet, “Okay,” which made Iwaizumi tighten his grip around Oikawa's hand.

He didn’t let go, even when they reached the entrance to Oikawa's dorm building. Oikawa expected him to say his goodbye until that night then, but he waited for Oikawa to punch in the code to unlock the door and walked with him all the way to the second floor. Oikawa was tempted to ask him to come in, but he knew Iwaizumi probably had to pack too and besides, if he let Iwaizumi in, he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold out on a kiss until their first date.

“Hey,” Iwaizumi said, just as Oikawa opened the door to his apartment, letting go of Iwaizumi's hand. “Want to get dinner this evening before we leave for Kiyose?”

“Like a date?” Oikawa asked.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Like a date,” he smiled with a hint of an unspoken promise.

“I’d like that,” Oikawa nodded. “Text me when you’ve figured out a timeline. I’m used to having to pack for games we play around the prefecture on the weekend so I shouldn’t be long,” he promised.

Iwaizumi smiled, agreeing to let Oikawa know their plans for the night as soon he got home and figured out the details.

He threw himself down on his bed face first, the moment he locked the door behind Iwaizumi and walked into his room. Just that morning he had been worrying about how Iwaizumi definitely didn't like him and now, he was planning to spend the weekend with his grandparents and his sister.

[Group: Roommates]  
**From: Tooru**  
>> I have plans for the weekend !  
>> I won’t be home till Sunday night

[Group: Roommates]  
**From: Catman**  
>> what the fuck???  
>> is this some lame attempt at a rebound?

[Group: Roommates]  
**From: Not Bokuto**  
>> IS IT IWAIZUMI?  
>> TELL ME IT’S IWAIZUMI

Oikawa grinned at the responses, putting his phone on his bedside table, turning the notifications for the chat off.

His away bag was already ready to go with an extra toothbrush, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and a phone charger but he figured he should swap out some of his t-shirts and sweats for nicer clothes. Oikawa wasn’t all that nervous about meeting Iwaizumi's grandparents because old people always liked him, but he knew that first appearances were important so he had some packing to do in that regard.

It was only 3 pm now and he knew he had at least another two hours before he had to leave so for the time being, Oikawa was happy with holding his pillow close to his face and thinking about how he hadn’t expected to even  _talk_  to Iwaizumi when he first met him at the beginning of the year, let alone have plans to go out with him.

It was strange how fate worked but Oikawa could happily say that he didn’t feel very guilty at all for spurring Suzuki-san to pair him up with Iwaizumi for this project. Iwaizumi may not have believed in aliens, but as silly as it sounded, Oikawa just had more of a reason to owe them something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time:  
> \- (official) first date  
> \- meeting Iwaizumi's family
> 
> comment and kudos really mean a lot! ♡


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, I added another chapter but it's staying at 12! I'm 90% done the last chapter, which means the next few chapters will all be posted on time, every week on Fridays unless something really dire happens to stop me from getting to my laptop.
> 
> this is definitely one of my favourite chapters and the turning point in Iwaizumi and Oikawa's relationship!

Nervous didn’t even begin to explain how Iwaizumi felt. One moment he was relieved that Oikawa had sought him out to tell him plainly that he liked him and wanted to go out with him, and the next, Iwaizumi was beating himself up for inviting Oikawa to come home with him for the weekend.

He was the one who had insisted on going slow, doing things  _right_ , and then he had gone and fucking  _invited Oikawa to stay the weekend_. What kind of an idiot did that?

Iwaizumi was starting to believe that his brain knew better than he liked to believe it did. All those weeks he had seen Oikawa in class and had thought about and failed to say something to him, Iwaizumi had just taken as an unfortunate series of events. Now, he was inclined to believe that maybe he had some kind of suppressed clairvoyance.

It was as if every time he was around Oikawa, he either said something rude, stupid, or just plain embarrassing. All three were as bad as one another, although maybe the embarrassing comments were only bad for him because while the former two could ruin Oikawa's mood in an instant, the latter had been able to take him by surprise in the best way possible. He had miraculously  _agreed_  to Iwaizumi's impulsive ask – sounded excited about the prospect, even.

That had made Iwaizumi feel a little better about himself all the way until he walked Oikawa off at his house. The moment he was alone again, he felt the panic start to rise.

What if his grandparents didn’t like Oikawa? He knew that was farfetched and that they liked  _everyone_  including the annoying kid who lived next door that insisted on ‘borrowing’ all of Iwaizumi's baseballs and never giving them back – he claimed it was to practice but Iwaizumi knew the idiot just liked to throw them down the ravine to show off to his friends.

If his grandparents could like a kid like that, then there was no reason for them to dislike Oikawa. Iwaizumi knew the real panic lay in the introductions.

He didn’t think he and Oikawa had established that they were friends but at the same time, they hadn’t gone out yet either. Schoolmates? That sounded far too insincere. Calling Oikawa his friend might offend him. He certainly wasn’t Iwaizumi's boyfriend either.

 _Yet_ , the voice in his mind supplied without missing a beat.

Iwaizumi flushed to himself, face screwed up in thought the entire walk home. He was happy Suga wasn’t there to jump on his mood, but he did notice that his phone hadn’t stopped pinging and he fished it out only to see notifications from his chat with Hanamaki and Matsukawa lighting up.

Great. He should have known Matsukawa was going to tell Hanamaki about Oikawa sidestepping him after class. They  _were_  dating after all and they were both Iwaizumi's friends so he shouldn’t have felt like they were intruding but Iwaizumi's annoyance at having jumped the gun with Oikawa was making him moody.

He sent off a quick message, letting them know that he was going home this weekend and to let him know if they wanted him to bring anything back from their houses for them.

He hoped they wouldn’t follow him to Kiyose since he had promptly ignored their inquiries on what Oikawa had wanted when Matsukawa left them alone to talk. To be honest, Iwaizumi wouldn’t put it past them to do that, but he figured the chances of them  _actually_  coming home too were higher if they knew Oikawa was joining him.

After a few contemplative minutes, he sent another text, letting them know that he and Oikawa had a date that evening to appease them. Iwaizumi couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face at his friends’ congratulatory messages.

He distracted himself with looking up the schedule for the trains. He was lucky he lived so close to home, although he had chosen to attend a university close by for this very reason. Triple checking that the time for the connecting train, Iwaizumi printed off a schedule, tucking it into his duffel bag before returning to his laptop to search for restaurants near the station where they could have dinner.

 _Date_ , Oikawa had called it. Iwaizumi was inclined to agree. Even if it was last minute and not at all very romantic, Oikawa had been happy about it and Iwaizumi was too. It was a lot harder than Iwaizumi expected to find a place  to eat at, considering how anal Oikawa was about his diet and physical regimen. Eventually, Iwaizumi settled on a teppanyaki restaurant with a diverse menu.

He sent Oikawa the name of the restaurant and a tentative time, asking if it was okay. Some of the tension that had built up in his shoulders dissipated at Oikawa's enthusiastic reply.

 _Fuck_ , Oikawa was really cute and Iwaizumi was really gone for him.

The notion was only heightened throughout the entirety of dinner. Iwaizumi couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled this much and on a date, no less. Oikawa was passionate about everything he spoke about, whether it was trying to convince Iwaizumi that he could have been a great volleyball player if he had chosen it over baseball or telling Iwaizumi the history of the universe.

“I don’t get it,” Iwaizumi said quietly, watching Oikawa wave his hands about excitedly as he explained how the speed of light worked and how the stars they saw in the sky could already be dead and no one would know until they disappeared from view.

“Don’t get what? How we define the fastest speed as the speed of light? Hmm, you’re right, I guess that’s not  _technically_  true. I didn’t mention the Hartman effect but that’s so abstract that I can’t even begin to explain it,” Oikawa said seriously, setting his spoon down in the now-empty ice cream bowl.

“ _That’s_  abstract? What about the rest?” Iwaizumi chuckled when Oikawa opened his mouth to respond. Of course he had an answer to that question. “That’s not what I meant though,” Iwaizumi continued. “You’re a scientist, right?” Oikawa nodded. “So you believe in what you see?”

“Yes, although as an astrophysicist, sometimes I have to use my imagination,” Oikawa narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Is this some attempt to convince me that aliens don’t exist again, Iwa-chan? Because you know I won’t change my mind on that,” he raised a challenging eyebrow.

“No, no, it’s not like that,” Iwaizumi smiled. “I’m just having a hard time trying to understand how someone who believes in cold, hard facts is also a staunch believer in something that’s a theory at best… no offense,” Iwaizumi promised.  

Oikawa wrinkled his nose contemplatively. “Do you believe in a God?”

Iwaizumi tilted his head in confusion. “My grandparents are very firm believers in Shinto, so I was raised on the notion, yes,” Iwaizumi agreed.

“Not your grandparents,” Oikawa denied. “ _You_ ,” he reiterated.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure religion was the best first-date topic but it was his own fault that they were here. “I guess, yeah,” he agreed.

He had grown up going to the shrine to pray on every religious holiday. When he was younger, it was just something he did because everyone else in his family was doing it. Now though, he realized he did it of his own choosing.

“Okay, but you’re also a scientist, right?” Oikawa asked.

“I mean, life science and physical science are different things,” Iwaizumi pointed out.

“They’re still both sciences,” Oikawa reminded. Iwaizumi knew Oikawa had a point there so he nodded his head to show his agreement. “You’re Shinto because you believe that’s right. You’re a scientist for the very same reason. There’s nothing to say you can be one and not the other. They  _should_  co-exist in my opinion,” Oikawa stated firmly.

“That’s not what most people would believe.” He admired Oikawa's firm stance. 

“Well, everyone has a right to their own beliefs, which is also another reason why you should just accept why I think aliens exist,” Oikawa quipped, nudging Iwaizumi's foot lightly with his own in something akin to an apology when he noticed the flush that had flared across Iwaizumi's cheeks.

“I was joking but seriously, think about what  _we’re_  made of. Stardust and microbes: heaven and Earth,” Oikawa reminded. “Religion _and_  science,” he grinned, keeping up the comparison. It was a new take on the texts Iwaizumi had read over the years but he couldn’t deny that Oikawa was right.

Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa in awe. “You’ve really thought about this, huh?”

“Yes,” Oikawa agreed.

“Okay,” Iwaizumi smiled, settling back into his seat.

“Does this mean I win the bet?” Oikawa’s face lit up in glee.

“Hell, no,” Iwaizumi denied. Then, because Oikawa's face turned up into a cute pout he added, “There’s a forest not far from my grandparents’ house. If you can show me  _one_  thing in there that’s somehow related to aliens, I’ll concede,” he promised.

“Really?” Oikawa grinned, pupils blown wide in anticipation.

“Really,” Iwaizumi agreed.

“I’m so excited,” Oikawa said honestly, reaching over the table to hold Iwaizumi's hand.

He ended up almost grazing his skin on the hot grill, which made Iwaizumi worry and refuse to hold his hand – mostly out of embarrassment than anything else – but Oikawa made such loud complaints that Iwaizumi ended up moving to take the chair next to Oikawa instead of sitting across from him, face heating up as Oikawa's frown turned into a sunny smile.

The rest of dinner passed by much the same, with them discussing controversial topics that should have been left till way later. But nothing about Oikawa was conventional and Iwaizumi was happy with how honest he was.

By the time Iwaizumi noticed they should be heading towards the train station, he was grinning from ear to ear and Oikawa's pale skin was flushed with happiness too.

Even though Iwaizumi had purposefully chosen a late evening commute because it would be less packed, the train wasn’t as empty as he had hoped it would be. That’s what happened when you travelled in Tokyo on a Friday evening though. He let Oikawa take the empty seat, insisting that they had to change trains in a bit anyway.

Oikawa protested until Iwaizumi agreed to sit down and let Oikawa stand on the next train if there was only one seat available. It felt silly to be arguing about something so trivial but it also made a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the way Oikawa was holding on to the tips of his fingers, hidden behind their duffel bags.

Luckily, the second train had two open seats and Iwaizumi didn’t have to argue with Oikawa despite having agreed to take turns sitting. An hour and half wasn’t all that long, anyway and back when he had been in his first year, Iwaizumi had made the trip back home almost every weekend.

The train ticket itself wasn’t that expensive and although Iwaizumi enjoyed the university, he had missed the comfort of home. With his grandparents aging as well, Iwaizumi had felt like he had a duty back home. After the first year though, his grandparents basically told him to start living his own life, which was embarrassing as much as it was heart warming.

With Oikawa's company this time around, the commute was made shorter. Iwaizumi told Oikawa about his grandparents and his sister too so he wouldn’t be blindsided when he met them. Oikawa soaked up all the information, smiling pleasantly with everything Iwaizumi relayed to him.

By the time they got off the station and started the fifteen-minute walk to his house, Iwaizumi had relaxed significantly since that afternoon. Oikawa's presence should have made him feel nervous but it only washed a calm over him.

It was 9 pm when he and Oikawa arrived home. The lights were still on, meaning at least one person was awake – probably Minako. He pushed open the front gate, locking it behind him once he and Oikawa were through. The front door slid open easily and before Iwaizumi could even announce their arrival, the sound of loud footsteps then a crushing weight on top of him in the form of his sister greeted him.

“Oniichan!” she yelled, squeezing Iwaizumi in a smothering hug. “I didn’t think you’d actually come,” she laughed, pulling back.

“Shut up, Minako. And stop being so loud,” he clucked his tongue in disapproval, running a hand through her hair.

She rolled her eyes  _hard_ , dismissing Iwaizumi's touch before her gaze found Oikawa's. “Who’s this? Wait no, don’t answer that. Tell me this though: are you seeing anyone?” she asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“ _Minako_!” Iwaizumi scolded, face heating up on behalf of his sister’s lack of filter.

“What? I’m not asking for  _me_ ,” she said flippantly. “Are you going to introduce your friend? Or are you going to stop interrupting long enough for him to introduce himself?”

Oikawa laughed, bowing politely. “Oikawa Tooru. Nice to meet you,” he greeted. 

“Iwaizumi Minako, welcome to our home,” she bowed back, ushering Oikawa through the genkan and into the living room. “I’ll give him a tour. You can go put your bags away,” she instructed. “Ojiichan said he set out an extra futon for him but you can both sleep together on yours if you want,” Minako grinned unabashedly, knowing full well that one futon was  _not_  large enough for two grown boys.

If people didn’t know any better, they’d assume Minako was the older sibling between them with how damn  _bossy_  she was. But that was also part of her charm. Iwaizumi watched her pull Oikawa through the house, sighing because there was no way his  _or_  Oikawa's protests was going to stop her now.

Not that Oikawa looked like he had any protests. Iwaizumi bent down, fixing his and Oikawa's shoes to the side that his sister hadn’t given Oikawa a chance to do himself. He listened to her loud laughter fondly, happy that she seemed to like Oikawa at least. He didn’t know what he’d do if Minako didn’t like him – she had always been the most important person in his life.

But then again, she had always been his biggest supporter so Iwaizumi realized belatedly that he never had anything to worry about.

He placed the strap of Oikawa's bag on his left shoulder, trudging through the house until he got to his room. It was big enough only for two futons, a kotatsu and a cabinet for his clothes. It wasn’t much, but it was  _home_.

Even when he and Minako had been living in Yokohama with their parents, they had visited their grandparents often enough that Iwaizumi had gotten accustomed to the minimalistic style. He liked the simplicity of it; it made him feel relaxed and welcome. He worried now though that Oikawa wouldn’t enjoy the small space as much but he knew that was just the doubt striking back.

“Hello, Hajime,” his grandfather greeted, helping him with the bags.

“Hello ojiichan,” Iwaizumi greeted. “It’s okay, I can take these. You should rest,” he insisted, much to his grandfather’s disapproval.

“I’m not that old yet,” he pursed his lips, but his tone held nothing but affection. “I see Minako has gotten a hold of your friend,” he laughed, just as they saw Minako pull Oikawa by the arm past his room.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi laughed. “Don’t worry, he enjoys the attention,” he added. “Uh,” Iwaizumi said hesitantly, scratching his cheek, “I don’t know if  _friend_  is the right word for Oikawa,” he admitted. “I’m – we’re – I don’t know,” he laughed nervously.

His grandfather patted his shoulder, “I know,” he smiled. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked, changing the subject to put Iwaizumi at ease.

Iwaizumi nodded sheepishly. “We had dinner before we came. Sorry,” he apologized.

“You know your grandmother won’t accept that. Go warn Oikawa-kun,” his grandfather said gently, walking Iwaizumi back out into the hall.

Iwaizumi slid the shoji to his door shut, listening for the sound of Minako’s loud voice to determine where she and Oikawa were. He found them in the back, on the wooden steps leading down to the garden. While the house may not have been large, the garden certainly was. It was the nicest part about living with his grandparents, other than the fact that he got to live with such kind people.

Both his grandparents had planted the garden from scratch. They had this house built when they got married and it was that kind of love that Iwaizumi had always taken inspiration from. A lot of people thought he was old school, that his way of thinking wasn’t progressive; he just thought that romance wasn’t what it used to be.

His parents had been in love and showed him and his sister what that meant every day; when they died, Iwaizumi had been devastated but that familial love was something he knew he had in the generation before too. It was something  _he_  wanted to be known for as well, and if that made him not fit in with the rest of the kids then so be it.

“Minako, leave Oikawa alone,” Iwaizumi said, pulling Oikawa's hand in his.

It made Oikawa flush, which only served to boost his own confidence. Iwaizumi should have felt embarrassed about holding Oikawa's hand in front of his sister but he didn’t. Minako raised an eyebrow, not missing the action.

“I’m not bothering him. Right Tooru-nii?” she asked, flashing Oikawa her most convincing smile. It was one that Iwaizumi was used to; that’s how she got away with everything. He wanted to tell Oikawa to be wary of her using it on him but at the same time, he knew the warning wouldn’t do him any good.

“She’s much better company than you, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa agreed. Minako snorted, coughing something that sounded very much like ‘Iwa-chan’ indiscreetly. “I don’t know how you’re even related. Minako’s so personable and Iwa-chan’s so grumpy –  _at first_ ,” Oikawa grinned. “Plus, she’s tall and Iwa-chan’s—”

“Go on,” Iwaizumi growled, eyes narrowed. “I dare you to finish that sentence.

“Cute!” Oikawa gulped.

“Nice save,” Minako complimented. “Oniichan’s sensitive about his height,” she fake-whispered.

Iwaizumi's eye twitched. He wasn’t sensitive. He just didn’t like people calling him short because he  _wasn’t_  short. Being friends Hanamaki and Matsukawa made him look short in comparison. At 5’10”, Iwaizumi was well above average. 

Minako was also taller than average, which meant Iwaizumi couldn’t get away from the comparison at home either. She was five centimetres shorter than him but she towered over most of her friends and teammates on the basketball team.

“Come on,” Iwaizumi sighed. “Obaachan made dinner. Pretend like we didn’t eat,” he said, speaking to Oikawa.

“Okay,” he agreed, happy that Iwaizumi's annoyance didn’t last long.

He guided Oikawa into the room where his grandmother had set up dinner. He greeted her properly, enveloping her in a hug. She must have been in the kitchen when Iwaizumi and Oikawa had first come in. He had assumed that she had been sleeping but then again, she never failed to make a big deal out of his coming home. This weekend especially.

“Look at you,” she smiled fondly. “You haven’t been skipping meals, have you?” 

“No, obaachan,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “Have you met Oikawa?” he asked, turning the attention off of him, which probably wasn’t such a good idea when his grandmother was feeling mischievous.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone home with you,” she hummed.

Iwaizumi stalled. “I… did,” he said, thinking over the phone call he had with both of his grandparents earlier that afternoon.

After dropping Oikawa off at his dorm and returning to his own apartment, Iwaizumi had called to make sure he could bring Oikawa and not just  _show up_  with him. This was concerning. Maybe he should insist his grandmother see a doctor while he was here.

He looked to Oikawa, apologizing silently because he  _had_  told his grandparents that he was bringing Oikawa. If he felt embarrassed, he couldn’t imagine how Oikawa felt. Iwaizumi didn’t like coming uninvited to people’s houses so he reckoned Oikawa mirrored the sentiment.

“She means you didn’t tell us he was hot,” Minako jumped in, placing a kiss to their grandmother’s cheek before reaching for the rice paddle.

“ _Minako_!” Iwaizumi yelled for the second time since arriving home. He loved his sister, he really did, but she had an uncanny ability to say the most embarrassing things at the worst possible time.

“Hello, obaasan,” Oikawa greeted, two pretty pink patches surrounding his cheeks. Iwaizumi hated that Minako was embarrassing him but he didn’t look upset so that was promising at least.

“Hello Oikawa-kun. Hajime did tell us you were coming. It’s just fun to tease him,” she reassured, making some of the nervousness on Oikawa's face wear off.

“Oh, good,” Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. “You can call me Tooru,” he insisted, looking between Iwaizumi's grandparents.

They fussed over Oikawa, especially when they learned that he was playing for the school’s volleyball team. It was late, but his grandmother claimed that she knew they weren’t going to bed right away and so she continued to pile on food onto their plates.

Iwaizumi was full, but he had never been able to disappoint his grandmother. Oikawa, surprisingly, kept up with Iwaizumi much to his grandmother’s happiness. After a second full meal, Iwaizumi had to put an end to the food on his and Oikawa's behalf before his grandmother brought out dessert.

“You should go to bed,” Iwaizumi insisted. “I’ll wash up,” he told his grandmother, bringing in the dirty dishes into the kitchen after her.

“I would like to believe you, but I see the way you look at that boy,” she smiled, eyes twinkling at Iwaizumi's flush. “He’s nice,” she continued, making Iwaizumi's embarrassment rise.

“ _Obaachan_ ,” he groaned, dropping his head into her shoulders.

“He must be special if you brought him home for your birthday,” she chuckled. Iwaizumi wrinkled his nose at the mention of his birthday. “You didn’t tell him it was your birthday?” she chided.

“I forgot!” he said honestly. Until Minako’s phone call that afternoon, Iwaizumi hadn’t been all that caught up on his birthday, anyway. “And he’d think he has to get me something because that’s just the kind of person he is,” Iwaizumi protested.

“ _Kind_?” his grandmother quipped.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed without missing a beat. “He is kind,” he smiled, thinking back to the way Oikawa had answered all the questions his family threw at him. They weren’t very subtle at hiding the interrogation, but if Oikawa noticed, he wasn’t deterred.

“Okay, we’ll go to bed. I’ll make Minako go too,” she promised. “Your grandfather put up lights on the bridge in the garden. You should show them to Tooru-kun,” she suggested.

Iwaizumi thanked her, bidding her a goodnight. He turned the water on, biting his bottom lip in amusement when he heard his sister’s protests of how it was a Friday night and that she wasn’t tired and wanted to hang out with Oikawa. But as much as his grandmother was nice, she was also firm and was the only person with enough stubbornness to match Minako’s teenage state.

A few minutes after Minako’s annoyance died down, Iwaizumi heard Oikawa's footsteps behind him and felt a familiar weight on his shoulders.

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Are we dating now?” Oikawa asked bluntly.

That wasn’t what Iwaizumi had been expecting. “Yes,” he said firmly. “I mean, we  _did_  go on a date today and I thought it went well so I’d like to go out with you again,” he said, flustered by the words tumbling out of his mouth. “Unless you don’t want to be…”

Oikawa laughed. “All I needed was a ‘yes,’” he said amusedly. “Because if we’re dating then I’m allowed to do this, right?” he asked, pressing his nose into the junction between Iwaizumi's shoulder and neck.

The touch tickled him and he let out an involuntary shudder. Instead of backing away, Oikawa kept his proximity, breath fanning across the skin of Iwaizumi's neck. It was strange how easy it was for Oikawa to be so comfortable and familiar; it was even stranger for Iwaizumi to allow him to be.

“Your grandparents are very sweet,” Oikawa said, breaking the silence around them.

“They are,” Iwaizumi agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat. He turned the water off and reached for the hand towel, wiping his hands across it before he shrugged his shoulders, nudging Oikawa off of him. “You sleepy?” he asked when Oikawa yawned.

“No,” Oikawa shook his head.

“Liar,” Iwaizumi chuckled, smile widening when Oikawa's face flushed.

“Maybe a little,” Oikawa laughed embarrassedly. “I had morning practice today and we got drilled hard because of the upcoming break,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to sleep if you don’t,” he insisted.

Iwaizumi shook his head at Oikawa's obstinance. “Twenty minutes,  _max_ ,” he said. Oikawa nodded enthusiastically, trailing behind Iwaizumi when he took Oikawa's hand and led him to the garden. This time, instead of just stopping on the wooden steps, he took Oikawa down, searching for the light switch at the bottom.

His grandparents worked on the garden all summer long and this year was no different. He hadn’t been home in a long time so it came just as much of a surprise to Iwaizumi as it did to Oikawa to see the new paper lanterns strung between the trees under the walkway that doubled as a bridge.

They had delicate flowers painted in gold, representative of the ones blooming in the garden. Iwaizumi recognized the work as his grandmother and his sister’s.

“You grew up in a place like this?” Oikawa asked, head tilted back, eyes round in awe. “My mother likes gardening too but she’s got nothing on this place,” he chuckled, reaching up to cup a hand under a lantern with painted plum blossoms.

“Not always,” Iwaizumi said honestly. “I used to live in Yamanakako but my sister and I moved here when our parents died.”

He knew it wasn’t the kind of subject people liked talking about but Iwaizumi had always been honest about it. He had loved his parents and talking about them made him feel like he was keeping their memory alive. Oikawa snapped his head back down to Iwaizumi, the unspoken question about what had happened to Iwaizumi's parents evident in his eyes.

“Car accident,” Iwaizumi explained.

“I’m—”

Iwaizumi reached up, hands gliding through Oikawa's hair. He tugged lightly until Oikawa stepped forward, words cut off by Iwaizumi's kiss. It took Oikawa a second to reciprocate but in an instant, something clicked and he squeezed Iwaizumi's hand that was still in his, tightly, puling his lips back teasingly but coming back in before Iwaizumi could even think to chase Oikawa's mouth.

Iwaizumi had told Oikawa they’d go to bed in twenty minutes but it felt far longer than that with Oikawa's lips against his and his hands finding purchase on Iwaizumi's skin. And when Oikawa walked Iwaizumi backwards until his back was flush against a tree and Oikawa's hips were sliding against his, he had no reason to care about how long they had been out here for, so long as no one found them.

Oikawa was passionate about everything Iwaizumi had seen him do; kissing was no exception. His expertise made Iwaizumi self-conscious but when Oikawa let out a tiny whimper as Iwaizumi licked across the roof of his mouth, he felt a surge of confidence he didn’t know he needed.

With one hand still gripping Oikawa's tightly, he placed the other one firmly on Oikawa's back, fisting his shirt every time Oikawa deepened the kiss. He groaned when Oikawa's free hand slipped underneath his shirt, cold hands against warm skin.

Along with those little pants Oikawa kept letting out every time their hips slid together just right and the way Oikawa allowed him to nip at his bottom lip, sucking it between his teeth, Iwaizumi was slowly losing focus on reality.

The lights hanging from the trees caught in Oikawa's hair, blinding him just as his eyes fluttered open. The sudden brightness was enough to remind Iwaizumi where they were. Reluctantly, he turned his head to the side, but instead of deterring him, the action only spurred Oikawa to refocus his attention from Iwaizumi's lips to his neck.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi groaned, closing his eyes when he felt a slight graze of teeth. His voice sounded encouraging, which was the exact opposite of what he was trying to go for. Subconsciously, however, Iwaizumi supposed that  _was_  what he wanted.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi tried again, bringing his hands back to himself. Oikawa stopped at that, taking a few steps back, face twisted in worry.

“I’m sorry!” he said apologetically. The way his cheeks were painted red from the kiss, matching the colour of his lips made Iwaizumi want to trace his fingers over them.

“What for?” Iwaizumi laughed. “I promised a kiss after a first date, right?” he reminded. “If we were back at school, I’d ask you if it was okay to continue but uhm,” he jerked his head behind him to the house his grandparents and his sister were in.

Oikawa closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip in embarrassment. He let out a tinkering laugh, nodding to show that he understood. “Too bad,” he hummed. “If we were back at school I’d be inclined to agree,” he grinned, taking Iwaizumi's hand into his own and tugging him back to the house.

Iwaizumi gazed at Oikawa dazedly. He barely remembered turning the lights to the garden off or locking the door behind them or even bringing over the extra futon for Oikawa to sleep on. The rest of the night, the only thought that was on Iwaizumi's mind was how nice Oikawa smelled, how soft his skin was and how much he liked just kissing him. How  _easy_  it was to get lost in his charisma and his charm.

Iwaizumi knew that it was risky to try and kiss Oikawa again with the fear of it turning into more than just a peck, but he couldn’t help but do just that when he caught sight of Oikawa's face bathed in the moonlight streaming in from the open window. He didn’t miss the way Oikawa's cheeks lit up at the action and when Oikawa curled his fingers around Iwaizumi's hand, he couldn’t help the blush that caked his own cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a couple of quick notes:
> 
> \-- I have done some research on the Shinto religion and I tried to be as accurate as possible when making references. If I have not done a good job, I welcome any and all criticism because I would like to change anything that isn't correct. 
> 
> \-- Iwaizumi is definitely more of a take it slow kind of guy and a lot of his inspiration and realization of what romance is comes from his grandparents who are pretty traditional when it comes to the show of love. Of course, Iwaizumi and Oikawa haven't gotten to that stage yet, but Iwaizumi realizes that he likes Oikawa after years of fighting off his friends for trying to set him up. He's not very experienced but Oikawa will very happily show him the way! 
> 
> \-- the paper lanterns look something like [this](https://images.yswcdn.com/69997646-ql-85/390/390/ay/paperlanternstore/4-cherry-blossom-round-party-string-lights-39.jpg) with lights hanging in between
> 
> next time:  
> \- morning kisses and jogging  
> \- small birthday celebrations 
> 
> your kudos and comments mean a lot to me! ♡
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

Having played for the volleyball team since arriving at Chuo, Oikawa had gotten used to waking up early. They had practice morning and evening practices, but the head coach seemed to think that making his players wake up at the crack of dawn to come to the gym for practice would deter them from going out too much.

It was a good strategy, because it separated the people who really cared from those who just weren’t cut out for the life of competitive sports, but that didn’t stop it from being difficult. After the first month of rigorous morning practices however, Oikawa had grown accustomed to the routine.

It was different from high school where some kids lived so far that coming to practice at 7 am would mean waking up at 5 am and his high school coaches weren’t  _that_  demanding so most of the time, volleyball practice took place after school.

But university had come with a more set routine, so when his eyes flew open the next morning, light streaming in from the wide windows, Oikawa felt a moment of panic because it was  _too bright_  and  _shit_ , had he missed practice? The events of last night slowly came back to him and Oikawa smiled, turning his head to the side, expecting to see Iwaizumi sleeping on the futon next to him but he wasn’t there.

He frowned, sitting up. Oikawa reached for his phone, noticing that it was just past 8 am. It was a Saturday so had he been at home in his own bed, Oikawa would have indulged in laying in his bed for another half an hour, scrolling through his phone, but he felt strange doing that in someone else’s house.

He wasn’t a late sleeper by nature either, so he stood up, running his hand through his hair to try and pat it down a little and grabbed his toiletries before he stepped out into the hallway in search of the bathroom.

He tried to remember where the bathroom was. Iwaizumi's sister had taken him through the house so quickly yesterday that Oikawa was having a difficult time thinking back to all the rooms she had pointed out.

Just as Oikawa stood in front of the door he was almost certain was the bathroom, contemplating knocking because the door was closed, it opened, revealing Iwaizumi standing in the doorway dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Oikawa's eyes landed on the ridges of his biceps and he flushed hard at the thought of reaching out and touching the muscle.

He knew Iwaizumi was strong – he had carried Oikawa from Ushijima’s house to the train station only a week ago and Oikawa had seen Iwaizumi wearing a t-shirt almost every time they saw one another – but something about the view of his bare arms made Oikawa's mouth feel dry.

“Nice hair,” Iwaizumi snorted. Oikawa flushed again for a completely different reason this time.

“Iwa-chan!” he scolded, hands flying up to his hair immediately. He knew he had bed hair –  _bad_  bed hair – which was why he had been trying to find the bathroom in the first place. He wasn’t particularly fond of people seeing how unkempt his appearance was after waking up, but somehow, he could sense Iwaizumi's endearment despite the embarrassment Oikawa was feeling.  

Iwaizumi laughed, stepping forward. He placed his hands on top of Oikawa's, tugging until Oikawa relented his hold on his hair. Iwaizumi slid his fingers between the strands of Oikawa's hair a few times before he also removed his hands from Oikawa's head.

“I meant it. You look cute,” he smiled, redness blooming over his cheeks.

The unexpectedness of Iwaizumi's words caught Oikawa by surprise. Iwaizumi was quite sincere if he wanted to be, and Oikawa was not prepared for that.

“Oh gross, can’t you flirt somewhere that’s not in front of the bathroom?” Minako said loudly, squeezing between Iwaizumi and Oikawa on purpose, if the teasing grin on her face was anything to go by. “My brother is  _so_  lame,” she stretched the words out dramatically, ducking past Iwaizumi and into the bathroom when he glared. She closed the door, a small  _click_  indicating that she had locked it.

“Hey, you little shit, wait your turn!” Iwaizumi turned around and pounded on the bathroom door twice.

Oikawa could hear Minako’s amused laughter ring out from the other side and he couldn’t help but match her amusement when he heard Iwaizumi's grandfather yell something about language from another room.

“Sorry, she’s going to be in there forever now and we only have one bathroom,” he frowned in apology.

“That’s okay,” Oikawa smiled. “Wanna make out right by the door?” he teased.

“What about  _on_  the door?” Iwaizumi asked, playing along.

That was all it took for the bathroom door to swing wide open, an unamused expression gracing Minako’s pretty features.

“Just hurry up,” she grumbled. “I need to shower, I have plans.”

“This early in the morning. With who?” Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes.

“None of your damn business,” she stuck her tongue out, refusing to answer Iwaizumi's question even when he trapped her in a headlock.

Oikawa knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of those. He had an older brother himself, although the age gap was double that of Iwaizumi and his sister. Still, the fondness between them was familiar and it made him miss his own family back home in Miyagi a little.

He closed the bathroom door behind him amidst Iwaizumi and Minako fighting over how Iwaizumi didn’t need to know anything about his sister’s life and Iwaizumi insisting that it was his job as her older brother to do just that.

Seeing Iwaizumi in his home was more telling than Oikawa had expected it to be. While he was reserved at school, he was a lot more at ease at home. It made Oikawa feel special that Iwaizumi was willing to share this personal side with him.

When he finished in the bathroom, hair not styled but somewhat tamer than before, Oikawa stepped out to find Iwaizumi and his sister still arguing about Minako’s plans for the day.

“And you said  _I_  took too long,” Minako glared at her brother. “Just kidding,” she whispered to Oikawa on her way past him. “Oniichan’s so fun to annoy,” she explained.

Iwaizumi scowled. “What did she said to you?” he asked as Oikawa laughed.

“Nothing,” Oikawa bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling. “Were you going to go for a run?” he asked, motioning to Iwaizumi's attire.

“Huh?” he asked looking down at his shorts. “Oh. Yeah. Wanna come?”

“Yes,” Oikawa agreed. “Let me just go change.”

Iwaizumi nodded, letting Oikawa know that he would wait for him in the kitchen. When Oikawa emerged from his shared room with Iwaizumi donning a pair of black shorts and a light blue t-shirt, he found Iwaizumi where he said he would be.

After a light breakfast and a promise to eat more when they got back, Iwaizumi led Oikawa out of the house and onto the sidewalk. Oikawa had no idea where they were going so he let Iwaizumi lead, happy to run beside him, maybe two steps behind.

Usually, Oikawa liked to run on his own; it was his time to clear his head and think about all the things he needed to get done that day, that week or just in general. But he found that he liked running with Iwaizumi. He was good company, didn’t feel the need to keep up a conversation when they both knew they were only out here for one reason and he matched the pace Oikawa liked to go at.

When they both slowed down for a break, Oikawa looked around the unfamiliar neighbourhood. The trees were taller here and the houses more spread out.

“This neighbourhood is creepy,” Oikawa joked, catching his breath. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair, realizing belatedly that his dishevelled appearance may have been the only downside to running with Iwaizumi.

“Yeah, this is the place I was telling you about. See the forest over there,” Iwaizumi pointed.

Oikawa followed his finger to a patch of darker green among the already green neighbourhood. The foliage was thicker where the forest started, the grass a little wetter from the moisture that the canopies above kept in. He shivered involuntarily at the view.

“You want to go there?  _Tonight_?” Oikawa gaped.

If it looked uninviting and dark during the day, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like at night when there was nothing but the moonlight to guide them. Even then, Oikawa wasn’t sure how much natural light could make it into the forest.

“You scared?” Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa’s shoulder with his own.

“Yes,” Oikawa admitted, tearing his eyes away from the forest. It was  _definitely_  creepy and he wasn’t afraid to admit that he was scared.

“We don’t have to come here,” Iwaizumi said guiltily. “I was being a dick for picking the scariest looking place I could find to make you find proof of alien existence,” he mumbled apologetically.

Oikawa's face lit up at the admission. He shook his head, ignoring the look of confusion on Iwaizumi's face. “Who said that I didn’t want to come here? Being scared is the best part. It makes the experience all the more  _real_ ,” he explained. 

Iwaizumi's eyes widened fractionally at Oikawa's proclamation. He was silent for a few moments and in that time, Oikawa was afraid that Iwaizumi had realized his quirks weren’t cute at all, anymore. Then, he let out a disbelieving chuckle, making all of Oikawa's worries disappear in an instant.

“You’re crazy,” he laughed fondly. “But I like you,” he stated, as if Oikawa needed more of a reason to think Iwaizumi was the nicest guy he had ever met.

Looking past his rough exterior, he was kind to a fault. He was sincere and always apologized when he said the wrong thing. Even if Oikawa was overly sensitive, emotions running high due to his crush, Iwaizumi made him feel like he had a reason to feel upset and made it up to him.

“Do you like me enough to kiss me even though I’m sweaty?” Oikawa grinned.

“Wanna find out?” Iwaizumi returned the smile.

Oikawa leaned forward and Iwaizumi met him halfway, playing with the tips of his fingers. Their hands didn’t remain linked for long because unlike last night, Iwaizumi was feeling a lot more confident. Maybe it was the privacy of the empty street, or maybe it was because this wasn’t their first kiss.

But this time, it was Iwaizumi who licked at Oikawa's lips to coax them open and Oikawa whose back was pressed against the fence bordering the forest from the rest of the residential area.

After running for half an hour, they were both sweaty and gross but Oikawa had grown accustomed to the smell of sweat from practicing rigorously for years now, and Iwaizumi clearly didn’t mind it either, if the way he moved his mouth from Oikawa's lips when they parted for breath and trailed it over his collarbone was anything to go by.

Oikawa threw his head back against the tall, wired fence. The cool metal against his scalp grounded him, which was just what he needed when he felt Iwaizumi's mouth suck a mark to his collarbone, right under his t-shirt.

He slipped his hands under the back of Iwaizumi's tank top, fingers tracing the dimples in his back, roaming up and down the smooth muscles. Oikawa closed his eyes and moaned when Iwaizumi moved his attention back to Oikawa's neck. This time, it was Oikawa who thought to stop him because as much as he wanted to be kissmarked, he really didn’t want Iwaizumi's grandparents to think badly of him.

“That tickles,” Oikawa complained half-heartedly when Iwaizumi brushed the side of his face against Iwaizumi's.

He had tiny hairs, barely even there, but enough to be called stubble that scratched against Oikawa's cheek. He liked the shivering feeling that the action caused in him but he knew that if Iwaizumi continued doing that, he’d just think about how his face would feel against his thighs and  _that_  was definitely an inappropriate thought for the setting.

“But you like it,” Iwaizumi grinned knowingly.

Oikawa flushed at being called out like that. Although he didn’t deny the accusation, Iwaizumi relented, taking a few steps back.

“Come on, we’re only a ten-minute run from my grandparents’ house. We should go back and shower,” he tugged Oikawa away from the fence.

They jogged slowly, the ten minutes turning into something closer to twenty when they slowed to a sluggish walk the closer they got to home. Oikawa didn't know who had reached for the other’s hand first but something about feeling Iwaizumi's warm – albeit a little sweaty – hand in his put him in a brighter mood than he already had been.

“I would never have expected Iwa-chan to be such a romantic,” Oikawa blurted out.

“What are you talking about?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“Well, you wouldn’t kiss me until we had our first date, you brought me home to meet your grandparents even though we barely know one another and you always find an excuse to hold my hand,” he listed off.

Iwaizumi self-consciously tried to tug his hand away but Oikawa squeezed back, reassuring him that that wasn’t what he wanted. “No, no, I didn’t mean any of those things in a bad way!” he exclaimed. “It’s just… rare, and I like it. Makes me feel special,” he admitted, words turning quiet due to his sudden bashfulness.

“You are special, dumbass,” Iwaizumi mumbled.

“Really?” Oikawa grinned. “I thought I was annoying.”

“It’s what makes you so special. You’re annoying and I still like you,” Iwaizumi smiled.

Oikawa didn’t know such simple words could make him feel so euphoric. Around Iwaizumi, his emotions were in a constant state of turmoil, going from one extreme to another. Ever since he had found out that Iwaizumi liked him though, Oikawa's high hadn’t gone down.

“That’s both the most insulting and the kindest thing anyone has said to me.”

Iwaizumi mumbled something under his breath that Oikawa couldn’t quite catch but he found that he didn’t care. If Iwaizumi wanted to hide his embarrassment, so be it. Oikawa had spent the past two months thinking about what it would be like to go on a date with Iwaizumi, what it would be like to just  _talk_  to him, and now that he had experienced it he felt that the daydreaming hadn’t done justice to the actual thing.

The rest of the walk home was filled with easy conversation. Iwaizumi pointed out the house that belonged to Matsukawa’s family on their way back, Hanamaki’s being in the opposite direction. They passed by the baseball diamond and when Oikawa admitted that he had never played baseball because it just wasn’t a popular sport at his high school, Iwaizumi had promised to take him to a batting cage when they were back in Tokyo.

It sounded like a date, which Iwaizumi clarified it was when Oikawa cheekily asked. Oikawa couldn’t remember the last time he had been so excited about the prospect of a date. Going out and finding someone to hang out with for one night or for a few days was easy. Dating someone with the intention to keep it going was a lot more difficult. But he didn’t want anything else with Iwaizumi, and he hoped Iwaizumi felt the same way about him.

Having seen the way Iwaizumi's grandparents acted around one another both last night and this morning gave Oikawa a pretty good indication about the kind of person Iwaizumi was and where he got his chivalry from.

“I have to tell you something,” Iwaizumi stopped suddenly before Oikawa could reach for the gate upon arriving back at the house.

Oikawa cocked his head curiously, indicating for Iwaizumi to continue.

“The reason I came back home this weekend was because Wednesday is my birthday and my family wanted to celebrate before exams started,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to tell you in case you felt pressured to get me a gift, which I really don’t expect or even want you to go out of your way to do,” he said quickly, face heating up with every word.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa scolded. “Your birthday is supposed to be special. Why’d you tell me I could come home with you?” he frowned, feeling shy.

It was already strange being in Iwaizumi’s home with his grandparents and sister even if they were nice, as someone who was not quite his friends but also not quite anything else. Now that Oikawa knew that Iwaizumi had come home to  _specifically_  be with his family, he felt like he should go.

“I thought I already told you that you  _were_  special,” Iwaizumi mumbled, avoiding eye contact. And don’t even think about going back to Tokyo early,” he warned.

“How’d—?”

“You’ve got this constipated look on your face, like you’re thinking too hard about something unpleasant.”

That didn’t explain how Iwaizumi knew  _what_  Oikawa was thinking about though. He stuck his tongue out childishly, turning his nose up in defiance when Iwaizumi reached out to grab at it. He apologized at Oikawa's half-hearted attempt at annoyance, laughing even when they entered the house and Oikawa tried to pull his hand away.

Eventually though, Iwaizumi got distracted when he saw his sister trying to sneak past him dressed up for what was definitely a lunch date. Oikawa took the opportunity to use the bathroom to shower amidst Iwaizumi's angry yells of  _‘That’s what you’re wearing?’_  much to his sister’s annoyance.

Oikawa was grateful that he was the youngest  _and_  lived a few hours away from his older brother. Maybe it came with being the eldest but in Oikawa's experience, the first-borns tended to be far more responsible and unrelenting than their younger siblings.

“Obaasan,” Oikawa said, finding Iwaizumi's grandmother sitting around a chabudai with a book in hand.

He had just finished showering and Iwaizumi had gone in after him. With nothing to do while he waited, Oikawa was curious about what Iwaizumi's grandmother could tell him about the other man.

She looked up at sound of Oikawa's voice, waving him over to sit across from her. “Are you looking for breakfast?” she asked.

“Oh, no,” Oikawa shook his head quickly. “I was going to wait for Iwa-chan to finish showering first,” he explained. “I just wanted to ask you what kind of things Iwa-chan likes,” he smiled sheepishly.

“Ah, he told you about his birthday?” she asked, putting her book down on the wooden surface in front of her.

“Yes,” Oikawa nodded. “We haven’t known each other for long but I like him and it would feel weird to ignore his birthday,” Oikawa admitted.

Iwaizumi's grandmother smiled fondly, telling Oikawa she had just the thing for him. Oikawa wanted to protest that he didn’t want her to give him something  _for_  Iwaizumi but he kept quiet. When the older woman reached for a drawer with books inside, Oikawa's curiosity only grew.  

She sat down again, patting the zabuton next to her. Oikawa switched his seat shyly. “Look at this,” she encouraged, opening the book up to a picture of a flower, blooming brightly against the night sky.

“A morning glory?” Oikawa asked, tilting his head to get a look at a different angle.

It  _looked_  like a morning glory… but the timing was wrong. And there was something else about the flower. It was white rather than the deep indigo that morning glories in Japan were famous for and it seemed to be  _glowing_.

“Not quite,” Iwaizumi's grandmother smiled. “It’s a rare moon flower, thought to be planted by the God, Tsukuyomi himself. It blooms for a few days in early June and when Hajime was younger he’d find them in the garden. I never planted them but they’d show up every year regardless and Hajime would be so mesmerized by them.”

“What about this year?” Oikawa asked. He hadn’t seen any in the garden last night and with a flower so bright, he was sure he would have been able to spot it.

“They didn’t appear,” his grandmother smiled sadly.

“Oh.”

Did Iwaizumi's grandmother really think  _Oikawa_  was going to find a moon flower that bloomed so irregularly that maybe its peak days were already gone? She was a nice lady and Oikawa liked what he knew about her so far but she was also a little crazy if she thought Oikawa knew where to even start.

What part about  _‘We haven’t known each other for long’_  did she not understand? Although, Oikawa had to admit that the thought of giving Iwaizumi a rare flower was pretty romantic and he’d definitely be impressed… right? He stored the thought away for later. Maybe if he was feeling spontaneous enough he’d actually do it.

“What are you two talking about?” Iwaizumi asked, finding Oikawa with his grandmother. His hair was still wet, the water getting onto his shoulders.

“What Iwa-chan was like as a kid,” Oikawa answered without missing a beat.

Iwaizumi frowned at that. He looked like he wanted to tell his grandmother to stop but then again, it was also his grandmother so he couldn’t exactly tell her that. Oikawa grinned triumphantly at Iwaizumi's inner turmoil.

“Come on. Let’s go eat,” he said tetchily, standing by the door until Oikawa bid Iwaizumi's grandmother goodbye and followed Iwaizumi out into the kitchen. “What did she say about me?” Iwaizumi asked once they were alone.

“Nothing! Don’t be so nosy,” Oikawa chided. “I promise, no embarrassing stories. All I got was that you liked the garden,” Oikawa shrugged.

“I still do,” Iwaizumi admitted.

Oikawa smiled fondly. “I didn’t take you for such a domestic guy, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi wrinkled his nose at Oikawa's observation, grumbling a few choice words under his breath and jostling Oikawa's shoulder with his own lightly. The touch was welcome and Oikawa bumped Iwaizumi back until they both tried to fit through the doorframe to the kitchen at the same time.

* * *

The rest of their day was split between working on their own homework, which they had both brought along and decorating the house for the pseudo-birthday party Iwaizumi's family wanted to throw for him.

If Oikawa had known that Iwaizumi was coming back home for his birthday, he would never have accepted the invitation to spend the weekend with him in Kiyose, but now that he was here, he knew he couldn’t just leave. It was a family event and although Oikawa felt sorely out of place, it meant something if Iwaizumi had wanted him here, right?

The first time Iwaizumi scowled at him in class for answering every question the teacher posed, Oikawa's heart had skipped a beat in anticipation, thinking that maybe the look meant that Iwaizumi would speak to him. But then, he had just ignored him and Oikawa had felt his hopes recede with every passing class.

He felt like he had cheated a little by asking to be paired up with Iwaizumi on this project but only good things had come out of it so far and technically, there was no lying involved so Oikawa didn’t have a  _reason_  to feel guilty. He still did, so he made a mental note to tell Iwaizumi about it when he got the chance.

When the afternoon sky turned a golden and the sun started to dip below the horizon, Oikawa helped Iwaizumi set up the table in the garden.

Early June was Oikawa's favourite time of the year; it was when summer was just starting to begin so it was hot without the full intensity of the humidity. The bugs were less prevalent and the weather was warm, even as the sun disappeared from the sky and night fell.

While Oikawa felt like he was intruding on a very personal, family moment at first, he started to ease up as the evening progressed. Iwaizumi's family teased Oikawa almost as much as they teased Iwaizumi, which was embarrassing at first but made him just as happy after the first few bouts of embarrassment.

Oikawa had a large family so he was used to having to spend time with people of all ages. His brother was ten years older than him, married and had a son so family events were somewhat hectic but also enjoyable. He was happy to see that Iwaizumi had such a nice family too, despite the unfortunate loss of his parents.

“What are you studying, Tooru-kun?” Iwaizumi's grandfather asked when they had finished eating dinner and the birthday cake was brought out.

Oikawa wanted to sing Iwaizumi a happy birthday but at his insistence, no one did. It was pretty cute how shy he was about celebrating a day for himself.

“Astrophysics,” Oikawa answered, just as Iwaizumi said, “Aliens.”

“ _Aliens_?” Minako repeated, laughing as she looked between them. “Is this some weird inside joke?” she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“Iwa-chan’s just being mean,” Oikawa informed.

Iwaizumi visibly rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Still, the damage was done and everyone’s curiosity piqued.

“You know, it’s okay to believe in aliens,” Iwaizumi's grandfather said slowly. Oikawa was going to die of embarrassment. He was generally unapologetic about what he liked but the tone of voice Iwaizumi's grandfather was using made him feel like a child.

“Of course it is,” Iwaizumi's grandmother added. Oh great, now they were going to try and convince themselves that Oikawa wasn’t crazy. He  _wasn’t_. “Many people believe that the signs they see of aliens – bright lights, strange occurrences that always take place in remote areas and open fields – are signs from the Gods themselves,” she continued.

Oikawa snapped his eyes up to the elderly woman. He looked to Iwaizumi who was hiding his face in his hands. Deeming him appropriately annoyed, Oikawa grinned, regaining his confidence.

“You believe in aliens?” he grinned.

Iwaizumi's grandmother nodded. “I believe in the Gods and what they do,” she agreed.

Oikawa shook Iwaizumi's shoulder triumphantly until the other man lifted his face from his hands. He looked entirely unamused, expression somewhere between disbelieving and disgruntled.

“Your grandmother believes in aliens,” Oikawa repeated, even though he knew Iwaizumi had heard her say it for himself.

“She believes in the Gods,” Iwaizumi argued.

“I believe in aliens too,” Minako said, shooting Oikawa a wink.

Iwaizumi's scowl deepened and Oikawa had to cover his face to prevent his laughter from echoing too loudly. The last thing he wanted was to really piss Iwaizumi off when they were supposed to be celebrating his birthday instead.

“Minako, leave your brother alone,” Iwaizumi's grandfather scolded, hiding his amusement poorly through pursed lips.

Iwaizumi sighed, and Oikawa thought he was genuinely offended but then he smiled, reached over and ruffled Minako’s hair till the strands were sticking up and she had an irritated look on her face.

“I guess I started this,” Iwaizumi conceded. He put his empty plate down on the table, looking to Oikawa whose plate was also free of any cake. “Thank you for the dinner. Oikawa and I are going out to work on a project,” he informed.

“Right,” Minako drawled. “You’re going  _out_  to  _‘work on a project’_ at 8 pm,” she repeated suspiciously.

“We are,” Iwaizumi insisted.

“What’s it about?” she challenged.

“Minako,” Iwaizumi's grandmother warned this time. “Don’t embarrass your brother,” she scolded, then looked towards Oikawa and Iwaizumi who were sitting next to one another around the table. “Be home before 11 pm,” she reminded, but otherwise gave no indication that she was against them going out.

Oikawa felt a little guilty for not saying  _where_  they would be going but when Iwaizumi didn’t bother to explain, he realized it was probably because his grandparents would not approve of them trudging through the forest at night no matter how old they were.

They went back into the house briefly to grab their phones, sweaters and flashlights. Iwaizumi also grabbed his backpack and a notebook, which was a good thing when they noticed Minako not so subtly hanging out by the kitchen in an attempt to catch them off guard.

She suddenly stuck her tongue out, which Oikawa realized was meant for Iwaizumi when he turned around and saw him glaring at Minako. It was amusing to see Iwaizumi like this but he hid his own smile lest Iwaizumi got tired of all the teasing. Oikawa wasn’t sure the night would amount to anything in terms of proving to Iwaizumi that aliens really did exist, but it was nice to be able to spend more time with him and well, that was always a win in his books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was more of a transition than anything else but I thought some relationship developments were important and I hope you do too 
> 
> next time:  
> \- nighttime adventures  
> \- that E rating kicks in lmao
> 
> comments and kudos are much appreciated! ♡
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one day late but here all the same! sorry about that, I was not feeling well at all yesterday :/

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered. It was quiet enough in the abandoned neighbourhood that whispering felt like the only real way to communicate.

There weren’t any signs telling them to  _‘keep out’_ or confirm that this was  _‘private property’_ so they weren’t doing anything  _illegal_ , yet Oikawa felt like they were. The sun had fully set now and the soft indigoes and dark blues that lingered in the sky even an hour after the sunset had fully dissolved into inky black.

Oikawa was not scared of the dark. He may have been scared  _in general_  but it had nothing to do with the dark. Still, when Iwaizumi mistook his whispering to mean that he was frightened and reached out for his hand as a sign of comfort, he was willing to say that he  _was_  scared if only so that he had a reason to hold Iwaizumi's hand.

“What is it?” Iwaizumi asked, fumbling with the switch on his flashlight.

He figured it out and shone a beam in front of them, making Oikawa relax a little at the sight of the trees and grass ahead of them. Something about the unknown was both incredibly alluring and frightening at the same time.

“We never confirmed what the stakes for our bet were,” he reminded.

“Seriously?” Iwaizumi laughed. “You’re pretty confident for someone who hasn’t had any luck so far,” he chuckled, pulling Oikawa into the woods.

Safe for their voices, the only sounds were the crunching of leaves and dirt under their feet and idle rustling from what Oikawa figured was just squirrels or mice or whatever other small creatures liked to hide so unsubtly behind the trees and in bushes.

“Don’t be mean. What if I die in here?” he complained.

“I thought you said aliens were nice,” Iwaizumi retorted.

“Of course not  _all_  aliens are  _nice_. Are all people nice?” Oikawa countered. “But that’s not why I’m thinking about dying in here. Do you not see how creepy this place is?” he said, absentmindedly squeezing Iwaizumi's hand tighter.

“Are you really that scared?” Iwaizumi asked, the worry in his voice evident.

“Yes, but it’s okay. I’ve got Iwa-chan and his big muscles to protect me,” Oikawa joked, hiding some of his own fear behind the teasing.

He couldn’t see Iwaizumi's face flush red with how dark it was around them but he could almost  _feel_  it. He also did hear Iwaizumi's mutter words he couldn’t quite decipher under his breath.

“What do you want?” Iwaizumi changed the subject. “You know, if you win the bet,” Iwaizumi elaborated when Oikawa didn’t respond right away.

“ _Oh_ ,” Oikawa said, suddenly losing some of his earlier confidence. What he wanted? Well… “It sounds dumb now,” he mumbled, shifting his eyes to the side.

It was both a blessing and a curse that the visibility around them was close to none. With Oikawa's eyes to the side, the light from the flashlight wasn’t doing him any good, even with his own pointed forward.

“Are you embarrassed?” Iwaizumi asked knowingly.

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa complained.

“Well now you have to tell me. It’s not often that you get embarrassed,” he laughed, tugging Oikawa's hand gently. He must have noticed that Oikawa wasn’t paying attention to what was in front of him.

“You’re not very good at being comforting,” Oikawa frowned. “You’re supposed to tell me you won’t laugh and that I have nothing to be embarrassed for.” He couldn’t help the slight huff that escaped. Oikawa knew it was unfair to make it sound like his awkwardness was Iwaizumi's fault but he had never been good at keeping his emotions in check.

To his surprise, Iwaizumi wasn’t deterred by Oikawa's attitude. In fact, he laughed encouragingly, making some of Oikawa's worries dissipate.

“I promise I won’t laugh,” he repeated dutifully. “And trust me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” he continued.

Oikawa couldn’t tell if Iwaizumi was making fun of him or not, but he said what he wanted to before he could change his mind. “I want us to date,” he whispered.

In the silence surrounding them, it didn’t take much for his words to carry over to Iwaizumi's ears. Oikawa felt his hand slip slightly in Oikawa's own and the action made him wish he had never said anything.

“Didn’t you ask me this last night? I thought we were already dating,” Iwaizumi answered before Oikawa could think the worst. His tone of voice was confused, but not unhappy, which gave Oikawa some hope.

“No, I mean like  _exclusively_ ,” Oikawa clarified. This was so embarrassing. He would have been better off keeping his thoughts to himself.

“Isn’t that what dating is?” Iwaizumi asked, confusion growing with every passing second.

If Oikawa didn’t know better, he would have thought that Iwaizumi was joking – trying to make fun of him – but seeing how sweet he was, how properly he had wanted to do everything had Oikawa believing his puzzlement.

“I mean like be my  _boyfriend_  kind of dating,” Oikawa elaborated.

“ _What_?” Iwaizumi asked, not unkindly. He didn’t sound opposed to the idea, just  _perplexed_. Still, it deterred Oikawa from talking about it any further.

“See, I told you it was dumb,” Oikawa mumbled quietly. “Forget it.”

“Hey,” Iwaizumi squeezed his hand. “Remember two weeks ago when I came over to work on the project and you got mad at me because I wasn’t paying attention to  _The X-Files_?” he asked.

Oikawa's face wrinkled in confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m trying to make you feel better, just shut up,” Iwaizumi argued.

His words were harsh but his tone was affectionate. Oikawa wished he could see Iwaizumi's face clearly now because he was absolutely certain that there was red blooming over his cheeks at this moment.

“Yeah, I remember. You manhandled me into giving you back the remote,” Oikawa reminded, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. When Iwaizumi let out a groan, he knew his words had succeeded in agitating the other man. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Oikawa added, laughing loudly when Iwaizumi cursed under his breath, just loud enough for Oikawa to hear.

“You’re such an asshole,” Iwaizumi griped.

“Your mean words don’t hurt me, Iwa-chan. I know how much you like me,” he goaded.

“Fine, I guess you don’t want to hear what I had to say about that night, since you already know how I feel about you,” Iwaizumi concluded, shifting a large branch out of the way to make it easier for them to walk past the drooping tree.

“What?  _No_! Tell me, please?” Oikawa asked. “ _Please_?” he repeated, tugging at Iwaizumi's hand until he relented.

“You can’t laugh,” Iwaizumi bargained.

Oikawa nodded his head immediately. Upon realizing that Iwaizumi might not be able to see him, he added, “Promise!”

Iwaizumi sighed. When he didn’t speak up for a few seconds, Oikawa thought he had changed his mind but then he said, “I wasn’t paying attention but not because I didn’t want to. I just thought you were cute and it was distracting.”

His words got quieter the further into the sentence he got. It only made Oikawa's mood brighten though. “Really?” he asked, humbled by Iwaizumi's honesty.

“Don’t act like you didn’t know,” Iwaizumi argued.

“I didn’t!” Oikawa insisted. “I just thought you hated me and were annoyed we had to work on the project together,” he admitted. “You were so grumpy all the time with me. How was I supposed to know you were just blown away by my looks?” he asked, biting his lip to prevent a laugh.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you that,” Iwaizumi groaned, stopping in his tracks.

“Why not? I’m happy you did. Now I don’t feel embarrassed about telling you that I asked sensei to partner us up on purpose,” Oikawa confessed.

“You did?” Iwaizumi asked. He sounded surprised, which made Oikawa worry that he had said the wrong thing.

“Are you upset that I did?” he asked quietly.

“No,” Iwaizumi denied. “Just…  _why_?”

Oikawa chuckled. “Why do you think? I liked you and you wouldn’t even talk to me! I thought if we did the project together then you’d have to talk to me but you were so mean in the beginning,” Oikawa frowned.

Iwaizumi laughed loudly, catching onto Oikawa's pout despite not being able to see it. He turned to face Oikawa, shining the flashlight on the ground between them so he could see Oikawa's face without blinding him. “I’m glad you asked us to be paired up,” he said sincerely.

The smile that overtook Oikawa's face at Iwaizumi's confession was unrivalled. “Iwa-chan, please be my boyfriend,” he blurted out.

“I thought that’s what you wanted if you win the bet,” Iwaizumi chuckled, but the amusement slid off his face the moment Oikawa's face saddened. “I’m joking!” Iwaizumi said quickly.

“You know how to joke?” Oikawa teased.

“Oh, shut up,” Iwaizumi objected. With the light between them, this time, Iwaizumi's flush was more than visible. His cheeks turned red and Oikawa didn’t hold back on removing his hand from Iwaizumi's hold to cover the blush with his palm.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Oikawa reminded.

“Yes,” Iwaizumi agreed. “But I’m sure you didn’t need me to tell you that,” he smiled.

“The confirmation is always nice though,” Oikawa laughed, squeezing his eyes shut in a smile. Iwaizumi's own amusement made his smile widen until they were both laughing aloud.

It was a little silly to be standing in the middle of an abandoned forest so  _happily_ , but Oikawa was completely unaware of his surroundings when Iwaizumi was with him and had just agreed to be his boyfriend. In the span of two months, they had come pretty far. Truth be told, it was the last two weeks where any progress at all had been made.

At the time, Oikawa thought that asking Suzuki-sensei to pair up him and Iwaizumi was a bit of a stretch. Now though, Oikawa was glad he had taken that chance, because he was sure he would have still been pining from afar had he not asked.

With Iwaizumi's reassurance that he liked Oikawa just as much as Oikawa liked him and the fact that they had labeled their relationship, Oikawa felt much better about being out in a forest so late at night.

He ignored the creaking sounds under their feet, the rustling of leaves that could have been from the wind or perhaps something else and the whines and squeaks of animals scurrying between the trees.

At least, until his foot caught on a patch of mud and he fell on his behind. Before he could slide down the slope that he hadn’t seen with the lack of lighting, he felt Iwaizumi's hands on his shoulder, steadying him.

“You okay?” Iwaizumi asked worriedly.

“Yeah,” Oikawa breathed out, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, making him very aware of his heartbeat.

“Hang on, don’t move. I’ll just pull you back a little so you can stand up without falling in,” Iwaizumi said, hands moving down to Oikawa's arms, latching onto his biceps before slipping under his armpits. He tugged Oikawa back, enough to get him away from the slope of the hill.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief, happy he hadn’t fallen into the hole. He wasn’t sure how he would have gotten out had that happened. 

“Are you hurt?” Iwaizumi asked, fussing over Oikawa's wrinkled clothes. They were muddy from where he fell but there was nothing either of them could do about that now.

“No, I’m fine,” Oikawa insisted, shaking his legs to make sure that what he said was true.

Thankfully, nothing hurt and when he took a few steps away from the opening and noticed that his muscles were working just fine, he sighed, relieved again for the second time.

“Okay, that’s it, we’re going home,” Iwaizumi concluded.

“What? No, we can’t do that!” Oikawa insisted. “We were barely out here for half an hour. I haven’t even convinced you yet,” he frowned.

“It’s dark and you almost got hurt. I’m not about to let that happen on my watch,” Iwaizumi said firmly.

“You’re being unfair. This was your idea in the first place,” Oikawa reminded.

“I know,” Iwaizumi sighed. “And I feel terrible for suggesting it. I should have thought this out better,” he rubbed at his forehead.

He knew Iwaizumi felt guilty for Oikawa almost getting hurt, but he hadn’t so it was fine, right? He had a bad habit of not letting go of things once he had an idea in mind. Given Iwaizumi's own stubbornness, he knew he was going to have a hard time getting what he wanted.

“But Iwa-chan!”

“No.”

Throwing a fit wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Especially because he didn’t want Iwaizumi thinking he was being childish. In realty, Oikawa knew he was doing just that and when his eyes caught sight of a sliver of light that wasn’t coming from either of their flashlights, Oikawa knew the real reason he was being so stubborn.

Iwaizumi's grandmother had gotten it into his head that Oikawa could find Iwaizumi the perfect gift. It was supposed to be simple, however it was proving to be quite the opposite.

“Look over there,” Oikawa nudged Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi stared, face hard, at Oikawa for a few seconds before he obliged, following Oikawa's pointed finger across the open hollow.

“I don’t know what you want me to look at but nothing is going to convince me to stay,” Iwaizumi stressed.

“Iwa-chan, just  _look_ ,” Oikawa repeated.

He watched Iwaizumi roll his eyes. Oikawa thought he was going to say ‘no’ again but then he turned his attention back to where the small, glowing flower was. A beat of recognition crossed his face but before Oikawa could rejoice, it was gone, replaced by a scowl.

“What did my grandmother tell you? You know what, I don’t care; the answer is still  _no_.”

“What am I supposed to get you for your birthday then?” Oikawa reminded.

“I already told you: nothing. Come on, Oikawa, we’re going home,” Iwaizumi reaffirmed.

Oikawa looked back to the moon flower, so  _close_. A part of him knew that Iwaizumi was right though; it looked relatively near, but it was on the other side of what was likely a sinkhole. It wasn’t safe for them to tread around it; hell, it wasn’t even safe for them to be standing so near for so long.

Begrudgingly, he moved away, turning back on the path.

“Are you mad?” Iwaizumi asked, falling into step with him.

“No,” Oikawa admitted honestly. “You were right, it wasn’t safe. If I got hurt, I’d have to sit a few games out, depending on the extent of my injuries. I can’t have that happening; I need to get scouted for when I graduate.”

Iwaizumi whistled. “You’re crazy, you know that? I’ve seen you play, you’ll definitely get scouted,” he said affectionately. “I’m glad you’re not mad,” he admitted.

“You can’t call me crazy and then compliment me,” Oikawa retorted. He couldn’t deny Iwaizumi's confidence in him wasn’t touching. “And you don’t know enough about volleyball to say that. You’re just trying to be nice!”

“So what if I am?” Iwaizumi laughed, leading the way back. “Besides, I didn’t need to play volleyball to know what a good athlete looks like. I played a competitive sport; I’d say I’m well trained,” he added.

They hadn’t gone off the trail, so finding their way out of the forest wasn’t too difficult. A part of Oikawa was still jittery from a few minutes ago but the adrenaline was starting to wear down and he felt more at ease. It must have had something to do with Iwaizumi's presence as well, because he was warm and comforting. The sound of his voice made Oikawa feel relaxed – although maybe not quite so much when his annoyance was directed at Oikawa.

“I know you said we could go to a batting cage when we get back to Tokyo but I kind of want to learn where you did,” Oikawa said hesitantly. “Can we visit your high school tomorrow? Before we go back?” Oikawa asked.

“Technically, I didn’t learn how to play baseball in high school,” Iwaizumi remarked.

“Why do you have to argue with everything I say?” Oikawa frowned.

“Relax,” Iwaizumi soothed. “I was just teasing. Of course we can go tomorrow. If it means seeing how terrible you are and getting to hold it over your head sooner rather than later, why would I pass up the chance?”

“You’re so mean!” Oikawa wailed, even though he knew Iwaizumi was joking. “I’m going to kick your ass tomorrow and make you eat your words,” he nodded.

Oikawa had always been able to accomplish what he put his mind to. Baseball would be no different. He was sure of it.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized, even though he was smiling.

“Whatever,” Oikawa dismissed, not unkindly. “I’ll pop a home run and you’ll have to accept my greatness,” he said smugly. Iwaizumi laughed loudly, much to Oikawa's dismay. “ _What_?”

“It’s called popping a fly and that’s not what you want to do. Hit a home run tomorrow though and I won’t ever make fun of you for not knowing baseball terminology,” he promised, biting his lip but laughing regardless.

Oikawa nudged his shoulder in annoyance but it was half hearted. When they got back to Tokyo, Oikawa was going to make Iwaizumi play volleyball with him and make fun of how he got all the terminology wrong too.

Seeing Iwaizumi laugh, even if a part of the amusement was directed at Oikawa, made him light up. He had been the cause of Iwaizumi's grumpiness for too long. It was nice to see him smile. He had a bright laugh and his eyes crinkled cutely whenever he let go of his composure and smiled freely. Oikawa hadn’t seen the look often but this weekend was proving to him that Iwaizumi was certainly capable of it.

By the time they got home, it was nearing 9:30 pm and Oikawa wished they could have stayed out longer because of the open stance Iwaizumi had adopted around him. He was afraid that once they got back, Iwaizumi wouldn’t be as relaxed or teasing but someone out there must have been listening to Oikawa's prayers because they arrived to an empty house.

“Where’d everyone go?” Oikawa asked worriedly as he stepped out of the room he was sharing with Iwaizumi, muddy clothes exchanged for cleaner ones.

“Minako’s at a sleepover and my grandparents are obsessed with this reality TV show that airs every Saturday night so they went over to the neighbour’s to watch,” Iwaizumi explained, picking up a note off the kitchen counter and reading off of it.

Oikawa hummed, leaning back against the countertop on one elbow. He looked around the empty house thoughtfully. “Wanna watch a movie?” he suggested.

“Okay, but I get to pick what we watch this time,” Iwaizumi said.

“But I’m your guest,” Oikawa reminded.

“When I came over to your place I was your guest and you still picked,” Iwaizumi laughed, ruffling Oikawa's hair when he pouted up at him. “Come on, I’ve had enough of aliens for one night. I’m going to teach you something about movie classics.” He tugged Oikawa's hand gently until Oikawa pealed himself away from the countertop, pattering after Iwaizumi into the living room.

Despite the fact that the house was built in a traditional style, both inside and out, there were modern touches to it: the couch in the living room being one of them. It was built low to match the style across the room but it was soft and not very big, which worked out great in Oikawa's favour when Iwaizumi sat down next to him, thighs touching Oikawa's own.

“What did you put on?” Oikawa asked curiously, immediately leaning against Iwaizumi's arm.

“King Kong vs. Godzilla. As a sci-fi nerd, you have to appreciate it, right?” he asked.

“Fine,” Oikawa conceded. “I guess your taste in movies isn’t the worst.”

The proud smile Iwaizumi flashed him for the comment was worth the bad graphics and the terrible dialogue. In all honesty, the plot wasn’t bad and Iwaizumi was right; as a sci-fi  _enthusiast_ , Oikawa could appreciate the Godzilla franchise. The most surprising part about watching the movie however was how invested Iwaizumi was in it.

Oikawa couldn’t help but tilt his head to look at Iwaizumi's face more often than watching the screen. And when Oikawa shifted in his seat so that his head was lying in Iwaizumi's lap and Iwaizumi's hand was in his hair, it gave him a better angle to look up at Iwaizumi's face and appreciate his enthusiasm.

His  _boyfriend’s_  face, the voice in his head reminded him. It sounded strange, like something that wasn’t quite real yet. But Oikawa was enjoying wrapping his mind around that fact.

“Are you even watching the movie?” Iwaizumi asked, green eyes staring down at Oikawa with something akin to amusement dancing behind them.

“No,” Oikawa answered honestly. “How am I supposed to concentrate when Iwa-chan looks so handsome?” Oikawa pouted.

Iwaizumi's cheeks immediately burned red and Oikawa reached out to cup a hand around the warmth. Oikawa leaned up just as Iwaizumi bent down, capturing Iwaizumi's lips in a kiss.

He hadn’t seriously dated anyone in a while; although he wasn’t sure that what he and Iwaizumi had could be called  _serious_  just quite yet, he knew there was at least one thing that was different from his other relationships. Iwaizumi kissed him like he was special, like every kiss was the first and last.

He was hesitant at first, only pressing his lips gently to Oikawa's until he built up confidence and kissed him sweetly, letting his touches linger longer with every passing second. Oikawa scooted up and Iwaizumi pulled him into his lap to get a better angle.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa scolded, although his words held no bite.

Iwaizumi's smirk proved to Oikawa that he knew that very well. “You don’t want to watch the movie anymore, do you?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Not one bit,” Oikawa replied honestly.

Before Oikawa could point out that they were in the living room and that Iwaizumi's grandparents could walk in at any moment, Iwaizumi had tucked a hand under Oikawa's knees; with the other hand, he put Oikawa's arm around his neck, pushing off the couch.

Oikawa squealed aloud, tightening his hold around Iwaizumi's neck. “What are you doing?” Oikawa asked, swinging his legs that were now dangling over Iwaizumi's arms.

It was pretty impressive how easily he could lift Oikawa, but as hot as that was, it was also a little intimidating. Still, being on the side that could appreciate Iwaizumi's strength made Oikawa feel a little proud.

“Taking you to my room,” Iwaizumi said simply.

“That’s a little forward of you, don’t you think?” Oikawa teased.

Iwaizumi laughed lightly. “What do you think we’re going to do?” he raised an eyebrow, making Oikawa flush.

“Well, you  _are_  carrying me bridal style,” he argued through his embarrassment. He was pleased to see that his words had their desired effect when Iwaizumi's own cheeks bloomed red.

“Shut up, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi growled.

“I’m starting to think ‘shut up’ and ‘Shittykawa’ are the only insults you have,” Oikawa laughed, burying his embarrassment in Iwaizumi's chest.

He felt Iwaizumi's step falter slightly at the action and he had to resist the urge to cheer aloud, lest Iwaizumi actually dropped him. He kept quiet for the rest of the short walk to Iwaizumi's bedroom, clinging tightly to his neck until Oikawa felt Iwaizumi lower him onto the futon.

For a while, Iwaizumi didn’t do anything – just stared at him, face contemplative, eyes searching for something. Oikawa felt himself still under the weight of that gaze, but when he smiled hesitantly and Iwaizumi returned the look, a bright grin overtook his features and a calm washed over his body, relaxing him.

It was the push Iwaizumi needed to bend down and kiss him again. This time, he didn’t keep the touching only between their lips as his hands slipped under Oikawa's shirt, fingers gliding carefully over his abdomen. Not being one to fall behind, Oikawa trailed his hands over Iwaizumi's arms and back, feeling the thick muscles of his biceps and broad shoulders.

With Iwaizumi's lips pushing against his and his hands touching him, Oikawa was slowly losing focus of what was happening. Only when Iwaizumi pulled away did Oikawa realize he needed air. He wasn’t given much of a chance to catch his breath though when he felt Iwaizumi's lips against his neck.

“Now who’s being forward?” Oikawa teased, gasping when Iwaizumi nipped at his collarbone.

“Wanna stop?” Iwaizumi asked, backing off.

“I didn’t say that,” Oikawa replied, tugging at Iwaizumi's shirt. “I’m just surprised, that’s all,” he admitted, face glowing.

Iwaizumi chuckled, leaning in to kiss at Oikawa's cheekbones. He let Oikawa tug his shirt off, discarding it to the side before doing the same with Oikawa's. Without his shirt on, Oikawa could appreciate Iwaizumi's muscles a lot more than he could when he was clothed.

The fact that Iwaizumi had been an athlete in high school had drilled him to adopt a rigorous workout routine. Oikawa was grateful that Iwaizumi had kept up with the exercise despite not playing sports competitively anymore.

It was difficult to admire Iwaizumi though when he pressed up close, nosing against Oikawa's throat before kissing his way down his chest. He slowed down the closer he got to Oikawa’s pants, using teeth and tongue across his hipbone to leave marks. There were already a couple of marks from this morning etched onto Oikawa's chest – hidden, thankfully. By tomorrow morning, Oikawa was certain there would be more lower down to match the ones above.

He knew that he should have told Iwaizumi to stop – his teammates were never going to let him live this down when they saw – but Oikawa couldn’t really find it in himself to want anything else.

Iwaizumi looked up at Oikawa questioningly, fingers stalling as they played with the hem of his pants. “Is it okay if I—?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Oikawa breathed out, eyes widening at Iwaizumi's boldness.

Iwaizumi helped him out of his pants, then slid Oikawa's boxers down his legs too. Oikawa threw his head back on the futon, draping his arm across his eyes to hide some of his embarrassment. It wasn’t that he didn’t  _want_  this because he did, but the fact that they were in Iwaizumi's grandparents’ house made him feel like he was doing something he shouldn’t have been.

All doubt and guilt vanished when Iwaizumi's hand wrapped around his length, dragging his palm across, leisurely. It wasn't enough to stimulate him fully but it still felt good and Oikawa had to bite his bottom lip to prevent the moan that threatened to come out. For a few minutes, that was all Iwaizumi did, using the precum sliding down his cock to make the glide of his palm easier until Oikawa was fully erect.

When he pulled away, Oikawa's eyes snapped open, searching for the touch he was too embarrassed to see when it was right there. He watched Iwaizumi dig through a drawer and his face immediately heated up at the insinuation. When Iwaizumi pulled back and Oikawa saw that he was only holding a bottle of lotion, he was met with both relief and disappointment.

He figured with how slow Iwaizumi had been going up until that night, the fact that Oikawa was naked and Iwaizumi was reaching down to undo his own pants was pretty unexpected on its own and something he would savour regardless.

“Is this okay?” Iwaizumi asked hesitantly, motioning between himself and Oikawa.

“Just come here and touch me,” Oikawa smiled, pulling Iwaizumi closer by the arm.

Iwaizumi's nervousness was sweet and somehow, it was rubbing off on Oikawa too. While he had never been this embarrassed about a collaborative handjob before, the fact that it was  _Iwaizumi_  touching him made his face and neck flush red.

When Iwaizumi brought a slick hand to wrap around Oikawa's cock and lined his up next to Oikawa’s too, Oikawa was grateful for the fact that they were alone. He had never thought of himself as particularly loud in bed but Iwaizumi made him want to moan without holding back.

He placed his hand on top of Iwaizumi's, tightening the grip as Iwaizumi traced his palm up and down over them. The slide of Iwaizumi's cock next to his and the pressure of his hand had Oikawa seeing stars in an instant.

With Oikawa's back against the futon and Iwaizumi hovering over him, it was easy for Oikawa to use his free hand and weave it through Iwaizumi's hair, pulling him down in a kiss. When Oikawa licked across his bottom lip, he felt Iwaizumi's movements falter and he was grateful that he had the same effect on the other man as he had on Oikawa.

“Feels good, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa muttered, eyelids fluttering from the building orgasm.

“You do too,” Iwaizumi said honestly.

“Do it harder,” Oikawa urged.

He had a bad habit of forcing his way through his own embarrassment by being bossy. Iwaizumi didn’t seem to mind, if the way he bit his bottom lip in amusement was anything to go by. He obliged Oikawa's request, sliding his hand and his cock at the same time roughly a few times until it pushed Oikawa over the edge.

When he came, it was with Iwaizumi's hand around him and his face buried in Oikawa's neck, teeth grazing lightly against his skin. It wasn’t hard enough to break skin but it felt nice and when he finally pulled away, Oikawa was glad to see that Iwaizumi had come too.

“That was much better than watching a movie,” Oikawa smiled, pushing Iwaizumi's hair out of his face.

“You could have just said what you wanted from the beginning instead of being coy,” Iwaizumi laughed, pushing off Oikawa to reach for the tissues next to his bed.

He brought them down to clean off the mess that had mostly landed on Oikawa's stomach with the position they had been in before bringing it down to wipe at their softening cocks. Oikawa shivered at the touch, waiting only for Iwaizumi to throw the tissues in the garbage before he reached up and pulled Iwaizumi to lie down next to him.

“But I was trying to be cute,” he said, responding to Iwaizumi's previous statement.

Iwaizumi kissed at Oikawa's jaw, mumbling something incoherently.

“What was that?” Oikawa asked, trying not to laugh at how ticklish it felt.

“I said, you don’t have to  _try_  to be cute,” Iwaizumi said quickly.

“Why? Because I can do it effortlessly?” Oikawa teased.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed.

The honesty startled Oikawa. “You’re the worst! You’ve conditioned me to accept your insults as compliments. You can’t just go ahead and say something  _nice_  like that now,” he complained.

Iwaizumi laughed loudly, tracing his right hand over Oikawa's cheek. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

“You can’t say that either!”

Instead of responding this time, Iwaizumi kissed Oikawa until he relaxed and his embarrassment dissipated.

“I wasn’t trying to be an ass to you before,” he promised. “It just kind of came out and it probably had to do with the fact that I liked you and I didn’t realize it until you threw yourself in my face,” Iwaizumi clarified.

Oikawa grinned, nodding at Iwaizumi's explanation.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Iwaizumi's face fell.

“Nothing, I’m just happy,” he smiled. “We should probably get dressed and go back to our own futons before your grandparents get home.”

“They’re probably already home,” Iwaizumi laughed amidst Oikawa trying to wiggle his way out of Iwaizumi's hold. “I’m just kidding, it’s only 10:30 pm. We’ve got a good half an hour,” he soothed, pulling Oikawa back down.

“Iwa-chan’s so affectionate,” Oikawa remarked, melting back into Iwaizumi's touch.

The loud cough he got in response to that made him smile. His smile only grew when Iwaizumi tucked a hand over Oikawa's shoulder and pulled him in closer.

They stayed like that for a while, talking about nonsense that let them get to know one another better. When Iwaizumi finally agreed that they should get dressed, Oikawa was too comfortable to want to move. He didn’t expect Iwaizumi to bring him clothes to sleep in, putting the ones from the day to the side to pick up tomorrow, but he was touched by the sincerity all the same.

It was easy to fall asleep with Iwaizumi's hand lingering against his. Even though Iwaizumi had moved to his own futon, he had pulled it close so that it was lying right next to Oikawa's, giving him the proximity to keep their hands pressed close. It was a simple gesture, tender and sweet just like the look Iwaizumi had given Oikawa as they both drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for slow builds and soft relationships so anyone who was looking forward to the E rating... don't be too disappointed as there is more to come lmao 
> 
> next time:  
> \- (friendly) wagers, baseball, and the return of Makki, Mattsun, Bokuto and Kuroo  
> \- lazy weekends in bed... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> comments and kudos are much appreciated! <3 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter yet... also *cough* Iwa-chan's glasses kink comes to play

“Home run!” Oikawa yelled waving his bat high above his head.

Iwaizumi had already turned to look in the direction of the ball, watching it fly far back to the left. It was close, but not quite a home run; the glee on Oikawa's face was something that Iwaizumi was starting to realize that he had trouble wiping away. Still, he didn’t want to lie.

“Sorry to break it to you but it doesn’t look like it’ll make it that far,” Iwaizumi apologized, turning his attention back to Oikawa who didn’t look all that upset by Iwaizumi's words. His confidence was striking.  

Ever since last Sunday when Iwaizumi had taken Oikawa down to his high school to show him the baseball field and practice a little, as per Oikawa's request, Oikawa had been determined to hit a home run. He had been close the last few times and Iwaizumi was duly impressed by his strength and his technique, but unfortunately, most of the powerful hits turned out to be fouls.

It would have been a little difficult to play with just the two of them that day, especially because Oikawa didn’t know much about the rules of the game, but they had been fortunate enough that some of Iwaizumi's kouhai had been on the field. It was nice to see old faces and to also meet some of the new ones. It was also nice to see how well Oikawa got along with them.

Oikawa, to his credit, hadn’t needed much coaching to get a hang of the game despite not having played it since the mandatory days of elementary school, which he claimed to have forgotten. Just because he picked the game up quickly however didn’t stop him from throwing his stance just so Iwaizumi would come up behind him and help him hold his bat properly. That was, until Iwaizumi caught on to what Oikawa was doing.

Face red and body warm, Iwaizumi had refused to fall prey to Oikawa's bad posture again until Oikawa casually pointed out that he may pull something and have to sit his next volleyball game out unless Iwaizumi helped him.

He was far too good at getting what he wanted; Iwaizumi realized belatedly that he didn’t mind giving it to Oikawa, if he could. Even if that meant his own embarrassment ate at him.

“Look at that Iwa-chan,” Oikawa smiled brightly, finally dropping the bat and removing his helmet. He jogged up to where Iwaizumi was standing on the mound and slung his arms around Iwaizumi's neck in a hug. “Home run it is,” he grinned.

Iwaizumi turned back to see what Oikawa was talking about. The ball he had thought would land just short of the fence had actually gone over.

“How’d you do that?” Iwaizumi asked, moving away from Oikawa's touch.

“You’re supposed to kiss me for doing such a great job,” he pouted. “I could have been a pretty good baseball player, huh?” he asked, not losing his enthusiasm despite the fact that Iwaizumi hadn’t entertained his whims.

Iwaizumi pulled his baseball cap backwards to get a better look at where the ball had landed. When he noticed Matsukawa jogging back from the fence, mitt empty, Iwaizumi had to admit defeat.

Not that he hadn’t wanted Oikawa to hit a home run but his boyfriend had somehow roped him into public display of affection if he did, which Iwaizumi wasn’t so thrilled about considering Hanamaki and Matsukawa weren’t the only people Oikawa had dragged out onto the field with them that afternoon.

Oikawa's roommates had joined too, which would have been fine if it wasn’t for the fact that Kuroo  _still_  didn’t like him. Iwaizumi thought they were alright with one another the night of the volleyball team’s party but he could acknowledge his mistakes since then.

The fact that he had ignored Oikawa for almost a week because he couldn’t get his own thoughts in order was not something Iwaizumi blamed Kuroo for disliking him for. If that was his friend someone did that to, Iwaizumi would have assumed they were playing as well, which only made him feel worse about the circumstances.

“Nice, Oikawa,” Bokuto beamed, smacking Oikawa's back with the hand that wasn’t holding the catcher’s mitt.

With only six people, it was difficult to play a real game of baseball so they had resorted to a makeshift batting practice, exchanging the roles as best as they could. Iwaizumi didn’t usually play pitcher, but with Hanamaki whose main position had been shortstop in high school and Matsukawa who had played as a second baseman, and Kuroo and Bokuto who had never played the sport competitively, they had to make do.

Now though, Matsukawa, Hanamaki and Kuroo were spread out over the field to catch whatever balls Oikawa swung that came their way and Bokuto was behind the batter’s box, ready to catch Iwaizumi's pitch. He fumbled most of them, but his specialty lay in his brute force.  

Since Oikawa was hanging off of him, Iwaizumi could feel the strength of Bokuto’s clap against Oikawa's back. He was fairly certain he knew where Oikawa's own force came from; rooming with Bokuto couldn’t have been easy. He wasn’t as tall as Kuroo was but he was built sturdy and broad. His easygoing nature and his approachable face masked the strength he held underneath.

Iwaizumi had seen it with his own eyes when he watched Bokuto hit a home run on only his fifth try. Oikawa had looked displeased about how easy it had been for Bokuto and how he still couldn’t hit the ball past the fence, which was why Iwaizumi had tried to appease him in the only way he knew to.

But the bribe was coming to bite him in the ass now; Oikawa's knowing smirk proved to him that his boyfriend was going to cash in on what Iwaizumi had promised.

His friends didn’t make things any easier on him either, whistling and cheering loudly. Oikawa had pulled Iwaizumi close again, interlocking his fingers behind Iwaizumi's neck to make it difficult for Iwaizumi to pull away like he had only moments before.

He didn’t really want to disagree, and when Oikawa's lip jut out petulantly, Iwaizumi couldn’t remember why he was even thinking of denying him a kiss in the first place. He leaned in, pushing Oikawa's sweaty bangs away from his face, kissing him slowly.

Iwaizumi had only meant for the kiss to last a moment, but the moment turned into a few seconds and a few seconds turned into half a minute, by which point Oikawa was starting to tease his mouth open. A loud cough broke Iwaizumi out of the trance Oikawa had unknowingly put him in.

He unhooked Oikawa's hands from around his neck, turning away from Oikawa’s far too excited smile.

“Guess Iwaizumi's on his way past first base after all,” Hanamaki whistled, winking at Oikawa. Iwaizumi hated base-related sexual jokes with a  _passion_. As if it wasn’t bad enough that Oikawa hadn’t gotten past his initial amusement of them, but his friends were actually entertaining Oikawa's juvenile behaviour.

Iwaizumi scowled, ready to tell Hanamaki off but Oikawa unfortunately beat him to it. “Oh don’t worry, Iwa-chan already got past first base,” he said proudly, throwing up a peace sign as Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Bokuto burst into loud laughter.

Kuroo however, didn’t look very impressed. It had been almost a week since Iwaizumi had invited Oikawa to spend the weekend at his grandparents’ home with him and every day following their return, he had seen Oikawa for at least an hour. Despite the fact that Oikawa scheduled it so that Iwaizumi would conveniently run into Kuroo every time the two of them hung out, Kuroo hadn’t gotten over his disdain for Iwaizumi.

Just because Oikawa had forgiven him for being such an asshole – as unintentional as it may have been – didn’t mean that he deserved the pardon. Kuroo's coldness towards him was just a reminder that there was still a long way to go before he could forgive himself for not having treated Oikawa better.

It was unnerving though to have Kuroo’s calculating, hazel eyes trying to bore a hole through Iwaizumi at every turn. He was protective of Oikawa, although not incapable of being laidback, if the way Iwaizumi had witnessed him speaking to Bokuto and Oikawa was anything to go by. He just hadn’t let Iwaizumi off the hook yet, which was understandable however uncomfortable as it may have been.

It was Saturday now and Iwaizumi had seen Kuroo for six straight days. On Wednesday, he had barely greeted Iwaizumi, only wishing him a very begrudging happy birthday, which most definitely had been Oikawa's doing.

Based off that reaction, Iwaizumi could only assume someone had coaxed him into joining them today.

“Goddammit Oikawa,” Iwaizumi groaned, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands.

“What? It’s true. We can’t let people think you’re not getting it, can we?” Oikawa asked, blinking his eyes in a way that made Iwaizumi's breath catch in his throat.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at Oikawa's candour. His logic was one that Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he could follow even if Oikawa explained it to him. Iwaizumi was learning that it was best to let things go when Oikawa got that intense look in his eye, but right now, he didn’t feel like letting Oikawa embarrass him.

“So how far has our little Iwa-chan ventured? Second base?” Matsukawa asked, prompting Oikawa.

Bokuto hid his laughter in his hands. Hanamaki however, wasn’t as kind, aiding to the flush that had already overtaken Iwaizumi's features

“Don’t answer that,” Iwaizumi warned.

“Third as of last night,” Oikawa smiled.

Bokuto whooped loudly as Hanamaki and Matsukawa high-fived. This was beyond embarrassing; Iwaizumi wasn’t  _unfamiliar_ with the idea of sex, despite the fact that everyone in his life seemed to think he was. He was just inexperienced and there was nothing wrong with that, in his very honest opinion.

Being a romantic and wanting to go slow had earned him the reputation of being reserved, but with Oikawa, Iwaizumi found that he didn’t give a fuck about going slow. Still, he got embarrassed and usually let Oikawa take the lead, which was fine, as long as his boyfriend didn’t boast about their intimacy to their friends.

The only person who didn’t care about Iwaizumi's inexperience was Oikawa, which Iwaizumi supposed was the only person whose opinion should have mattered. Right now though, his smug face and teasing lilt were making Iwaizumi question his own thoughts.

He swung his arm around Oikawa's neck, capturing him in a headlock. “Iwa-chan!” Oikawa complained, trying to fight his way out of Iwaizumi's hold. “Kuroo, come help me,” he turned to his roommate for aid when Iwaizumi didn’t loosen his hold. It made Iwaizumi grip relax just the slightest, which was all the opportunity Oikawa needed to break his way out.

“That was cheating,” Iwaizumi shook his head.

“It’s not my fault Kuroo scares you,” Oikawa stuck his tongue out.

Iwaizumi ignored the looks Matsukawa and Hanamaki were giving him at the information about Oikawa's roommate. To be honest, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what Kuroo's exact opinion about him was. A part of him was curious; a bigger part didn’t want to know what went on behind those calculating eyes.

“Oh, come on, Kuroo's not that intimidating,” Bokuto grinned, dragging Kuroo forward. “Look at this scrawny asshole. You could totally take him in a fight,” he confirmed to Iwaizumi, which only made Kuroo's displeasure grow.

“Wanna find out?” Kuroo asked, taking Bokuto’s bait.

The volleyball team may have been on a break because exams were approaching but that didn’t mean the players had any less energy. In fact, it meant they had more energy that went unspent, which Oikawa had rightly proved last night.

The good thing about having just one roommate was that the chances of Iwaizumi having the apartment to himself were higher than if they had been spending time at Oikawa's. After meeting up with him in the library, where Oikawa had  _insisted_ Iwaizumi study with him and his roommates for a bit, pointing sweetly to the open seat next to Kuroo, they had picked up dinner and come back to Iwaizumi's apartment.

They were supposed to keep studying, but an empty place and too much residual energy found them sprawled on the couch with Oikawa's mouth around his cock and his hands in Oikawa's hair.

“Come on, Kuroo, don’t be an asshole,” Oikawa nudged his roommate, breaking Iwaizumi out of his inappropriate reminiscing.

“Since you’re both so pumped on testosterone and don’t have the sense to back down, how about we make things interesting,” Hanamaki suggested. “Iwaizumi's good at baseball, Kuroo's obviously good at volleyball. Why don’t you just duke it out in a battle of sports and let whatever beef you have reside,” he looked between them.

“Uhm…” Iwaizumi looked to Oikawa helpfully.

“Sounds good to me,” Kuroo shrugged, much to Iwaizumi's surprise.

The sureness in his voice kicked up Iwaizumi’s own competitiveness. He had never been one to lose and he had also never turned down a challenge. Losing, while embarrassing, wasn’t going to do Iwaizumi any favours. However, if he won, he’d at least get to go over to Oikawa's apartment without feeling like he had to walk on eggshells.

It was a little awkward and Iwaizumi did feel bad that Oikawa couldn’t invite him to hang out with his friends. The look Oikawa was giving him at Kuroo's compliance was one that made Iwaizumi nod his head in agreement as well.

“I get to play for Iwa-chan’s team,” Oikawa announced. “You can’t play volleyball without at least two people and while baseball seems a little harder, we’ll make it work,” he announced, shooting Iwaizumi a wide smile.

“Fine, then I call Bokuto,” Kuroo replied.

He didn’t look all that bothered that Oikawa had chosen Iwaizumi, which Iwaizumi took as a good sign. Bokuto however, looked guilty about being caught in the middle.

While the prospect of having to fight Kuroo in a game of sports to win his trust was a little childish, Iwaizumi couldn’t deny that it was also bringing back memories of his high school days where he actually got to play competitively. This was nothing like that, but the thrill was the same.

In the end, he let Hanamaki, Matsukawa, Oikawa and Bokuto settle the details, which was how Iwaizumi found himself standing on base, Matsukawa standing across him on the mound, baseball bat held firmly in his hands. Out of the three of them who had actually played baseball in high school, none of them were pitchers but Matsukawa was probably the best after Iwaizumi for the position.

They had decided that since they were already out today, they’d get the baseball bit over with first. Playing baseball solo was pretty much impossible; basing their scores on the number of hits however, was a decent alternative. Without people to actually run the bases or catch the balls, Hanamaki had resorted to calling each hit as a single, a double, a triple or a homerun objectively – each scoring a point between one and four, respectively.

Iwaizumi was pretty confident in his ability to bat; he had batted fourth in high school, chosen for his technique and his power. But surprisingly, Kuroo wasn’t that bad. Although Iwaizumi was leading at the top of the fourth of five innings they had decided to play, he wasn’t so confident he’d be able to hold his lead come tomorrow.

Still, Oikawa's compliments did lighten the mood, especially when they were heading back to his apartment and Suga was out for the night again.

“You were really good,” Oikawa smiled, placing both hands on Iwaizumi's shoulder and leaning his chin on them as Iwaizumi dug through his pockets for his house keys.

“That wasn’t even a real game,” Iwaizumi argued out of necessity. He would have been lying if he said he hadn’t been trying extra hard because Oikawa was there.

“But I got to see how great Iwa-chan is,” Oikawa answered honestly. “You’re really strong and it was distracting how hot you were,” he added, voice falling sultry in a matter of seconds.

The sound of his voice made Iwaizumi's throat turn dry, the anticipation of what he wanted making his pants feel tight.

It was so embarrassing the kinds of things Oikawa could say to him that had Iwaizumi wanting to screw away with his morals.

“Besides, you’ve got me on your team tomorrow. We’ll kick ass and then Kuroo will have to like you,” Oikawa smiled, switching back to his normal tone of voice like he hadn’t just been trying to be seductive.

The shift in tone caught Iwaizumi by surprise, hand stalling as it tried to fit the key in the lock. Oikawa laughed at Iwaizumi's stupor, reaching out to twist the key and open the door for him.

“You’re pretty confident for someone who hasn’t seen me play volleyball yet,” Iwaizumi smiled. “And I don’t think you can really  _make_  someone like another person. Your logic is faulty,” he pointed out.

Oikawa wrinkled his nose in displeasure, throwing off his shoes and dropping his gym bag on the floor near the door.

“Don’t worry, he’ll come around. He thinks I’m too good for you,” Oikawa said quietly. “But he’s obviously wrong. Iwa-chan’s perfect,” he beamed.

There were a million things wrong with Oikawa's statement but it pulled at his heartstrings all the same.

“Go shower,” Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa gently, trying to avoid the onslaught of embarrassment that was inevitable if he let Oikawa continue talking.

Oikawa looked duly unimpressed for about half a second until his face turned up. “ _Or_ , you can shower with me,” he remarked coyly.

Iwaizumi groaned aloud, turning Oikawa around and walking him to the bathroom door. “Who’s supposed to make dinner, then?” he asked, resisting the urge to smile when he heard Oikawa complain about how Iwaizumi was being unfair and that he had tricked Oikawa into thinking he would join him.

“Next time,” Iwaizumi promised. “I’ll make dinner and then shower. We’ve still got to study too,” he reminded, placing a quick kiss to Oikawa's cheek.

This time, he couldn’t contain his chuckles at Oikawa's annoyance. He didn’t know much about Oikawa's studying habits other than that he didn’t really study, which was insane considering his position in his class. How he was able to maintain such good grades with such minimal effort was beyond Iwaizumi.

He supposed that the Gods worked in mysterious ways however, because most of Oikawa's effort went into playing volleyball. Or maybe Oikawa really did have aliens looking out for him, as their most staunch believer.

Iwaizumi shook his head at the ridiculous thought, digging through his drawer for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, which he hung in the bathroom along with a towel for when Oikawa was done. He ignored the teasing remarks Oikawa yelled at him over the sound of the running water when Iwaizumi entered the bathroom, smiling to himself at Oikawa's endearment.

By the time Oikawa was done showering, Iwaizumi had finished making the broth for the ramen, as well as cut the vegetables and meat.

“I can make the noodles while you shower,” Oikawa smiled. “Oh come on, I can boil noodles. All you need is water, right?”

Iwaizumi was sure that if anyone could ruin cooking noodles, it was Oikawa, but it would take him only five minutes to shower and by that time, he’d be able to stop whatever disaster Oikawa had managed in the time.

“Fine, just don’t make a mess otherwise I’m going to eat shit from Suga,” he reminded, walking off to the bathroom.

Oikawa's tinkering laugh did nothing to soothe Iwaizumi's worries. However, upon his return he was pleasantly surprised to see the kitchen looking much the same as when he had left it. The noodles were done and Oikawa had taken to assembling their dinner.

“Pretty good, right?” Oikawa beamed, turning around when he heard Iwaizumi's footsteps approaching.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi nodded. “Much better than Wednesday’s cooking disaster at any rate,” he laughed, hugging Oikawa from behind when his boyfriend protested that he was just trying to do something nice.

The gesture had been sweet; Oikawa had even asked Hanamaki and Matsukawa for Iwaizumi's favourite food. The reality of it didn't measure up to the aspiration. Iwaizumi had left Oikawa in the living room for about thirty minutes because he had insisted he needed to be alone to memorize new concepts. Iwaizumi had retreated to his bedroom and made the mistake of putting his headphones on.

Only when he was met with the smell of something burning did he realize Oikawa never had any plans to study. He had been trying to make agedashi tofu for Iwaizumi but had ended up cooking the broth for far too long.

“I was trying to do something nice for your birthday!” Oikawa insisted. “Don’t be mean,” he frowned.

“I know, and I told you that you didn’t need to do anything for me,” Iwaizumi reminded, gently turning Oikawa so that he was facing him instead.

“You’re so lame,” Oikawa replied softly, face brightening when Iwaizumi ran his fingers through Oikawa's hair.

“That’s okay, as long as you like me,” Iwaizumi answered honestly. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold,” he laughed, cutting Oikawa some slack amidst his sheepishness.

It was far too easy to get lost in the way Oikawa's cheeks bloomed pink, dusting his pale face. But they  _did_  have exams coming up and he knew that the longer they stayed wrapped up in one another, the less time they were going to spend towards studying.

Iwaizumi knew he shouldn't have felt guilty for wanting to spend time with Oikawa, but a part of him felt like he was being a distraction. Oikawa insisted that Iwaizumi wasn’t, but then again, Oikawa had always been sweet.

It was begrudgingly that Iwaizumi ended dinner short, shooting Oikawa an apologetic look. While they had started off on the wrong foot, Iwaizumi was happy to learn that even if he and Oikawa didn’t have a whole lot in common, they could enjoy one another’s company. The teasing had become light and as much as Iwaizumi complained about Oikawa embarrassing him, he could see the hidden affection behind his words.

By the time the sun had completely set and the sky had turned dark, the dishes were washed, the apartment was quiet and both Iwaizumi and Oikawa were holed up in Iwaizumi's room with their respective coursework in hand.

Oikawa had taken over Iwaizumi's bed, lying flat on his back with his legs dangling over the edge and textbook held up to his face. He had insisted that he didn’t need a desk to work, even though most of Oikawa's classes required calculations whereas Iwaizumi's were far more memorization based. Iwaizumi had felt guilty for it, even though it  _was_  his room, until Oikawa proved he already knew the math at which point Iwaizumi was  _slightly_  jealous of Oikawa's uncanny ability to understand concepts so quickly.

It had been almost two and a half hours since they had started studying; it was just about the time when Oikawa usually got distracted. This time, it was Iwaizumi, whose eyes kept darting to the side, watching Oikawa's face twist contemplatively as he read his textbook.

With his back against the bed and his legs hanging off the edge of the frame, he would have looked relaxed if it wasn’t for the constant shift in his face. He bit his lip and furrowed his brows every few seconds; it made Iwaizumi want to know what had him so stumped. He was glad to just be able to observe from afar though too.

When Oikawa's glasses slipped down his face with the way he kept wrinkling his nose, Iwaizumi had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from smiling like an idiot.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Oikawa sighed loudly.

“What doesn’t?” Iwaizumi asked, humouring him. He turned around in his chair so that he could face Oikawa fully.

“Iwa-chan keeps looking at me yet he always claims I’m the one who gets easily distracted when we’re supposed to be studying,” he said seriously, lowering the textbook in his hand to drop on the bed next to him.

Iwaizumi's eyes followed the book, catching sight of Oikawa's familiar alien magazine cover peaking out from underneath. It wouldn’t have been enough for Iwaizumi to know what it was under any other circumstance but in Oikawa's quest to make Iwaizumi believe that aliens existed, he had stacked Iwaizumi's bookshelf with various magazines that ranged from stupidly unbelievable to just plain stupid.

They had pretty much settled on giving their presentation from the perspective of one person who believed in aliens and another who didn’t. It had turned into a sort of comparative essay spoken orally. Oikawa wasn’t thrilled with the idea but the project was due next week and doing it separately then deciding on speaking order was the only viable solution between them.

“What the hell, you weren’t even studying!” Iwaizumi accused.

Oikawa had the decency to flush, covering up the magazine poking out from underneath his  _Neutrino Physics_  textbook.

“Don’t avoid the real conversation,” Oikawa frowned. “I’m so bored and Iwa-chan clearly is too,” he said, blinking up at Iwaizumi innocently.

There was nothing innocent behind the look however. Iwaizumi swallowed the lump in his throat, waving goodbye to his remaining restraint. Sure, he had been staring at Oikawa because he looked really fucking distracting but that didn’t mean that Iwaizumi also wasn’t studying.

As if to prove himself wrong, Iwaizumi tried to remember what he had just been reading and couldn’t recall anything from the last fifteen minutes.  _Dammit_ , how the hell did Oikawa always do that?

“Maybe if you actually studied you wouldn’t be that bored,” Iwaizumi sighed.

“Oh shut up and come kiss me,” Oikawa laughed, seeing right through Iwaizumi's façade.

He knew he should have probably put up a better fight, should have said something so that Oikawa didn’t think he could read him that easily, but he found that he didn’t want to and that he didn’t care how well Oikawa knew him in such a short period of time.

Iwaizumi pushed himself out of his desk chair and climbed onto the bed, hovering over Oikawa who looked thoroughly pleased with himself. Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa's glasses above his head just as Oikawa reached out and pulled Iwaizumi down to meet his lips.

He had to remind himself not to release the tension in his arms lest he fell right on top of Oikawa but with the way Oikawa was moaning and trailing his tongue along the roof of Iwaizumi's mouth, it was kind of difficult not to lose his bearings.

Somewhere between the kisses, Oikawa had managed to pull Iwaizumi's shirt off and Iwaizumi had moved his attention from Oikawa's lips to his neck. He was particularly sensitive there and without volleyball practice, he had made it perfectly clear to Iwaizumi that it was okay for him to leave marks on his skin.

His skin was so pale and soft that the slightest bit of pressure caused the capillaries underneath to rupture and stain the white canvas purple.

Oikawa made it so easy to be kissed; he was pliant under Iwaizumi's touch, telling him exactly what he wanted and what made him feel good. So Iwaizumi shouldn’t have been surprised when Oikawa mumbled quietly, “Can we have sex?” but the context was enough to make Iwaizumi reel back.

“What?” he asked stupidly.

“Don’t make me say it again,” Oikawa pouted, face flushing deeply.

“Is this because of what Hanamaki and Matsukawa said earlier today?” he frowned, reminded of his friend’s teasing.

“No,” Oikawa shook his head, dispersing some of Iwaizumi's guilt. “I wanted to, but I didn't want to push you,” he admitted. “It’s okay, forget it. Let’s just go back to kissing. Or I can blow you again,” he smiled teasingly.

“Hold on, I never said no,” Iwaizumi said quickly, averting Oikawa's gaze. He could see Oikawa's confusion melt into comprehension from the corner of his eyes. His face flushed slightly and his tight shoulders relaxed but he remained quiet, waiting for Iwaizumi to make his consent known.

When Oikawa didn’t respond after a few beats of silence, Iwaizumi removed his legs from around Oikawa's waist and opened the top drawer of his bedside table, pulling out a bottle of lube and two condoms. He tried to calm his own embarrassment, but he should have known better with Oikawa around.

“Wow, Iwa-chan wasn’t lying. You’re all prepared and everything,” Oikawa grinned, picking up the bottle of lube, putting his glasses back on, and reading off the label aloud.

Iwaizumi groaned, taking the bottle away from Oikawa's hand and placing it on the drawer beside them. He kept the fact that Hanamaki and Matsukawa had given it to him for his birthday to himself. He had been a little annoyed at the time but their gag gift  _was_  coming in useful now.

“You can fuck me,” Oikawa said simply, stalling any insult that was on the tip of Iwaizumi's tongue.

With Iwaizumi on the side, Oikawa took the opportunity to peel off his own shirt before sliding his sweatpants and boxers down his legs. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but snort at Oikawa's forwardness but the amusement was short-lived, as Oikawa pulled him in closer and slipped a hand into his sweatpants, palming at his growing erection.

“I can’t believe you’re laughing instead of appreciating the fact that I’m naked,” he chided, tightening his grip on Iwaizumi.

“Well technically, you’ve still got your glasses on so I don’t know how naked you can— _fuck_ ,” Iwaizumi cursed, when he felt cold air hit his cock as Oikawa slid his pants and boxers down his legs too. They got caught around his ankles, but Iwaizumi remedied that quickly, moving back down to kiss Oikawa before he had the chance to tease Iwaizumi further.

“Want me to take them off?” Oikawa teased.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked dumbly.

“My glasses,” Oikawa waved to his face. “If Iwa-chan’s bothered by them I can take them off,” he shrugged.

“You asshole,” Iwaizumi mumbled. “You just want to hear me say that I like them,” he huffed, redness blooming over his cheeks. With Oikawa around, Iwaizumi was finding it difficult  _not_  to feel embarrassed when they were close like this. Even Oikawa's most innocent remarks didn’t fail to make Iwaizumi's cheeks heat up.

Oikawa closed his eyes in a laugh. “It’s always nice to hear the compliment,” he admitted, biting his lower lip.

“I thought you said you were conditioned to accept my insults as compliments?” Iwaizumi reminded. Then, before Oikawa could complain, he added in a flustered moment, “Keep them. You look good,” before leaning down to kiss Oikawa in case he decided to tease Iwaizumi for the honesty.

Oikawa laughed quietly as Iwaizumi peppered his cheeks and chest in kisses, but he didn’t get the chance to go any lower than Oikawa's navel. Oikawa dug his hands in Iwaizumi's hair, guiding him back up to his face before he wrapped a leg around Iwaizumi's waist, flipping them so it was Oikawa who was on top and Iwaizumi trapped beneath him.

He liked the warmth and the steady weight that came with Oikawa's sitting over his hips. He especially liked it when Oikawa scooted forward and dragged his ass teasingly over Iwaizumi's cock.

Iwaizumi had to close his eyes at the pleasure that shook his body until he finally got used to Oikawa's slow, rhythmic grinding. The moment he placed his hands on Oikawa's hips and moved against him, Oikawa stopped, reaching for the bottle of lube amidst Iwaizumi's half-hearted glare.

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked, watching as Oikawa coated two of his fingers in the slippery substance.

“You’ll see,” Oikawa smiled, in a way that was anything but reassuring.

Iwaizumi swallowed hard when he saw Oikawa bring his hand behind his back, slipping both fingers in his ass. As impressive as that was, it had Iwaizumi's throat going dry and his cock throbbing impatiently. When Oikawa bit his bottom lip in concentration, Iwaizumi reached out to touch Oikawa's ass, kneading the flesh between his hands.

“Oikawa, let me touch you,” Iwaizumi begged. He would have been embarrassed at how needy he sounded if he wasn’t so focused on Oikawa's sweet sighs and fluttering eyes.

“In a bit,” Oikawa promised, face twisting in pleasure as he let out a satisfied sound.

Iwaizumi hated being on the sideline but watching Oikawa finger himself was like a private show of its own. While he waited, he dragged his hands over Oikawa's body – down his thighs, over his stomach, in his hair. He flicked a nipple lightly, unsure of Oikawa's reaction but was met with a pleased sound so he did it again, watching the way Oikawa threw his head back and shivered.

“Oikawa, please,” Iwaizumi asked again.

He didn’t know if it had been two minutes or twenty since the first time he asked. All that he was aware of was the fact that listening to Oikawa's sighs of pleasure were driving him up the wall. He had liked it when Oikawa's mouth was around his cock last night, had been excited about it because it was  _Oikawa_  but the anticipation of what was to come was a different kind of excitement.

“Let me touch you,” he repeated, burying his face in Oikawa's chest and licking at a perky nub, pulling it between his lips.

Oikawa whined at the touch, gasping slightly when Iwaizumi pulled away. “O-okay,” Oikawa agreed shakily, removing his fingers from himself.

He nudged Iwaizumi until his back was against the headboard before straddling him again. Oikawa poured lube over his fingers once more, taking Iwaizumi's own and slicking the first two for him. He guided Iwaizumi's hand to his ass, keeping it pressed against the ring of muscle for a few seconds, before he urged Iwaizumi to push his fingers in.

It was easy with Oikawa showing him where to touch, especially when Oikawa slid one of his own fingers in along with Iwaizumi's. He was still so tight but he didn’t look like he was in pain, which was the only thing that kept Iwaizumi from worrying too much. He stretched his fingers then curled them against Oikawa's insides, praying that he was doing it right. Oikawa's response to it was both encouraging and entirely humiliating.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Iwa-chan did this pretty often,” Oikawa huffed out, breathing uneven.

Iwaizumi didn’t even have a good comeback to that, so he dragged Oikawa's mouth down to meet his. His fingers slipped in deeper with the action, meeting the sensitive spot inside Oikawa that made him moan right into Iwaizumi's mouth.

Oikawa pushed him away. “Take them out,” he ordered.

“What?” Iwaizumi asked, panicking slightly. He did as he was told but the confusion only grew when he saw Oikawa reach for a condom, ripping it open. “What are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked, running his hand over Oikawa's arm gently.

“If you don’t fuck me  _now_ , I’m going to come,” he warned.

Iwaizumi could see Oikawa's demand as impatience now, and the thought shot a burst of confidence through him. He let Oikawa slip the condom over him and wasn’t even given the chance to ask how Oikawa wanted it when he felt his boyfriend guide his cock to his entrance.

He sunk down slowly, bouncing shallowly on the half of Iwaizumi's length that was inside him.

“You feel so fucking good,” Iwaizumi groaned, finding purchase on Oikawa's hips.

Oikawa's confidence was sexy as hell. The fact that he knew what he wanted and wasn’t ashamed to ask for it made Iwaizumi feel completely inadequate. The way Oikawa was moaning though, face looking pleased said anything, but.

Without warning, Oikawa slid the rest of Iwaizumi's cock inside him, burying him to the hilt. When he grinned down at Iwaizumi, it was obvious Oikawa knew exactly what he was doing.

“How does it feel now?” he teased.

“Even better,” Iwaizumi growled, growing accustomed to the tightness around him.

He wanted so badly to buck up into Oikawa, but he waited patiently until Oikawa moved first. Oikawa, as Iwaizumi had learned over the course of the week, was the biggest fucking tease he had ever met. He could read Iwaizumi like an open book, at least when it came to sex, and he certainly didn’t hold back on acting playful.

He rubbed his hips in slow, circular motions around Iwaizumi until he got the response that he wanted.

“Oikawa, I swear to god if you don’t move I’m going to come just like this,” he groaned.

“That wouldn't be so bad, right?” Oikawa smirked. “Iwa-chan’s so taken with me that I don’t even have to move much.”

“And you’ll never let me live it down,” Iwaizumi remarked. “Come on, please,” he asked, knowing that the only way to get what he wanted was if he played nice.

Just like that, Oikawa pushed up on his knees until only the head of Iwaizumi's cock was engulfed by the ring of muscle before he sunk back down, taking him all in.

“Like that?” Oikawa asked proudly.

“Y-yeah, like that,” Iwaizumi agreed.

Oikawa’s eyes were glassy and he kept biting his lip; it was distracting, to say the least and Iwaizumi didn’t know what he had done to deserve someone as beautiful as Oikawa.

After the third slow drag, Iwaizumi pushed his hips up to meet Oikawa's thrusts. He was rewarded by a small gasp from Oikawa and a new smattering of pink across his boyfriend’s cheeks. He did it again and this time, Oikawa's eyes widened and his hands scrambled to find purchase on Iwaizumi's shoulders.

“Again,” Oikawa insisted, grinding his ass against Iwaizumi's hips in an effort to reach his prostate.

Iwaizumi complied. He pushed his hips up every time Oikawa sunk down on him, reaching deep within him. When he felt a familiar warmth pool in his stomach he reached out to stroke Oikawa, bringing him over the edge with him. 

Sex with Oikawa was nice, but Iwaizumi was starting to find that  _anything_  with Oikawa was nice. When Oikawa collapsed on him and just breathed quietly, twitching around Iwaizumi who was still inside him, Iwaizumi realized how easy it was to bask in Oikawa's presence.

Eventually, he nudged Oikawa to the side. Knowing just how lazy he got during times like this, Iwaizumi trudged to the bathroom and brought a wet cloth to wipe them down. Oikawa hummed, leaning into the touch. It made Iwaizumi's movements falter for a few seconds until he got a hold of himself again.

When he was cleaned off, he put on a pair of boxers, putting a second pair on the edge of the bed next to Oikawa. He knew Oikawa wasn’t going to want to wear anything right now but by the middle of the night he’d be complaining about how cold it was.

“That was nice,” Oikawa remarked, throwing a hand over Iwaizumi's back. “Iwa-chan was very good,” he added, opening his eyes to take a look at the blush on Iwaizumi's face. “I would have never been able to tell it was your first time,” he added unsubtly.

“Who told you that?” Iwaizumi asked. “It was Makki, wasn’t it?” he said before Oikawa had the chance to answer him.

“Don’t be mad, please?” Oikawa asked.

“I’m not,” Iwaizumi shook his head. “I thought you already knew with the way you had to lead pretty much every time,” he admitted.

Oikawa smiled kindly, bringing a hand up to play with the fine hairs at the base of Iwaizumi's neck. “You did a pretty good job of leading back in Kiyose,” he reminded, thinking back to how confident Iwaizumi had been even if his flush had given away his embarrassment. “But, it doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m happy to show Iwa-chan the way,” he chuckled.

Iwaizumi snorted, nodding at Oikawa's statement because he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way either.

“Sorry if I overstepped,” Oikawa apologized suddenly.

“What are you talking about?” Iwaizumi frowned.

“Well, you always wanted to go slow and I feel like I convinced you to do something you didn’t want to,” he said guiltily.

Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa's face up to look at him. “Stupid, I wanted this just as much as you did,” he sighed. “I just haven’t dated anyone in a long time and I wasn’t sure what to make of it in the beginning but I like you and want to do things with you because it’s  _you_.”

“What did I tell you about saying nice things all of a sudden?” Oikawa flushed. Despite his words, he was smiling and looked anything but displeased.

“Sorry, sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized. He leaned over and kissed Oikawa's cheek, silencing him momentarily.

Oikawa blinked at the affection but his confusion was replaced by a smile in the next moment. He clung to Iwaizumi, a sign that he was ready to fall asleep. Iwaizumi had never liked it when people touched him but with Oikawa, he was grateful for the proximity. Oikawa made him want to do a lot of things he wouldn’t normally think to, but he supposed that was the only sign he needed that he  _really liked_  Oikawa.

With the affection that Oikawa returned, there was no fear in that realization, only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some clarifications! Kuroo is just being protective of Oikawa and is being stubborn. He hasn't spent enough time with Iwaizumi or talked to him long enough to realize that all the "mean" things he did was out of his own embarrassment/inability to grasp his feelings. That being said, they do work things out in the next chapter! In the meantime, please enjoy iwaoi being sappy and gross and cute *_*
> 
> next time:  
> \- Oikawa's sense of adventure knows no bounds  
> \- mini epilogue
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) // [Tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/) \- feel free to come talk to me on either platforms!
> 
> kudos and comments really do mean a lot ♡


	12. Chapter 12

Studying with Oikawa Tooru as your boyfriend was very difficult, as Iwaizumi was finding out the hard way. He knew that Oikawa was feeling pretty solid about his upcoming exams but Iwaizumi couldn’t say the same for himself.

He felt  _okay_ , which was far from where he wanted to be.

He had always cared about his grades and he was doing fine up until now, so the last thing he wanted was for his average to slip just as he got into a relationship. Exams didn’t officially start until next week so he still had time and he would be able to do well on his exams as long as he studied but the problem remained that he  _didn’t want to_.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa flopped down on the couch next to him. He had moved from his desk to the couch a little while ago for a change of pace.

Suga still hadn’t come home, which was strange because he didn’t stay over at Daichi’s this often but Iwaizumi also wasn’t complaining for the time he got to spend with Oikawa alone. A part of him didn’t want to think about how his roommate would most definitely try to use the time alone he so graciously gifted Iwaizumi as leverage for gossip but he couldn't be bothered to think about that now.

Iwaizumi grunted in response to Oikawa calling his name, fighting with himself not to look over and indulge Oikawa.

“I’m bored,” Oikawa sighed, closing his eyes. To his credit, he kept his hands to himself, sitting on the couch cushion next to Iwaizumi.

“No,” Iwaizumi replied without missing a beat.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t know that I’m not bored,” Oikawa frowned.

“I mean  _no_  to what you want. We both know what happened the last time you said you were bored,” Iwaizumi reminded, eyes not drifting from his page of notes.

Human physiology was going to be the course that was the death of him. There was far too much to memorize, too many specifics, and Oikawa's presence wasn’t doing him any favours. Besides Shimoda-sensei definitely hated him after the alarm incident and his blatant sleeping through the lecture. Iwaizumi had no doubt that the midterm exam was going to be difficult.

“I wasn’t even thinking about sex!” Oikawa yelled. He lowered his voice when Iwaizumi finally gave him the attention he wanted. “I was just going to say that I’m leaving since I’m bored and I don’t want to disturb you while you’re studying,” he amended.

Iwaizumi didn’t know how, but Oikawa made it easy for him to switch emotions in a heartbeat. His annoyance was replaced by guilt as he searched Oikawa's features for some sign of disappointment.

“I didn’t tell you to leave,” he defended.

“I know,” Oikawa promised. “We’ve been hanging out a lot and I like spending time with you but I also know you need to study,” he explained.

“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi apologized, putting his notes away and reaching for Oikawa's hand.

“What for?” Oikawa asked, cocking his head to the side, eyes rounded in confusion.

“For being so boring,” he said dully.

Oikawa laughed, squeezing Iwaizumi's hand tightly. “You’re not boring. We’re students, we’ve got exams coming up so I get it.  _I_  should be the one apologizing for distracting you so much,” he insisted. “Come on, go back to studying. I have stuff to do, anyway.”

“What stuff?” Iwaizumi asked skeptically. “I thought we were playing volleyball with Kuroo and Bokuto this evening,” he frowned.

“Yeah,  _this evening_  and it’s only 1 pm now. Don’t be nosy, Iwa-chan. I’m doing  _research_  for our project,” he explained.

The way he said the word ‘research’ was far from comforting. If it had anything to do with aliens, it wasn’t research as far as Iwaizumi was concerned; it was a quest for nonsense.

“Hey, Oikawa, come on, what kind of research?” Iwaizumi asked. His interest was piqued, if only because he had a bad feeling about this.

“It’s a surprise,” Oikawa winked, removing his hand from Iwaizumi's and walking off to the front door.

Iwaizumi sighed, catching up to him. “That’s not funny. We’re partners; shouldn’t you at least tell me what you’re going to do?” he asked.

Hadn’t they already decided the direction they were going to take with their project? Iwaizumi knew Oikawa's begrudging compliance at the time had been too good to be true but he had hoped that his boyfriend wouldn’t push it. Clearly, Oikawa wasn’t going to give up that easily.

“Nu-uh,” Oikawa shook his head. “You can’t guilt trip me into telling you. I’ll see you in a few hours. You should be able to study in the meantime without my distracting presence,” he grinned, leaning forward and placing a swift kiss to Iwaizumi's lips. He pushed Iwaizumi's hair back with his hands, smiling so sincerely that Iwaizumi swore his heart stopped for a few seconds.

By the time he realized what was happening again, Oikawa was already gone, leaving Iwaizumi with an unsettled feeling in his stomach.

He hadn’t known Oikawa long but Iwaizumi was already aware that Oikawa had a tendency to go too far. Most of the time, his excitement was cute. When it came to aliens however, Iwaizumi wasn’t so sure Oikawa's enthusiasm could be classified the same way. He couldn’t help but worry about Oikawa. Knowing how carefree he was about things made Iwaizumi nervous on his behalf.

[Subject: (no subject)]  
**To: Oikawa**  ☆  
>> text me when you’re done

[Subject: (no subject)]  
**From: Oikawa**  ☆  
>> aww is Iwa-chan worried about me ? ♡´･ᴗ･`♡  
>> but ok will do  
>> dw I’ll be fine. I’ve got Iwa-chan thinking about me after all

Iwaizumi groaned aloud, throwing his phone down next to him. He had a bad feeling he knew what Oikawa was up to but with the sun shining brightly outside, he was slightly appeased. Oikawa's departure also provided some peace and quiet; with the stress of upcoming exams, it was easy for Iwaizumi to fall prey to the consuming action of studying even if part of his mind was focused on Oikawa's wellbeing.

Four hours later, he was reminded of the passing time when his stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since 11 am that morning after making brunch for himself and Oikawa. With how late they ended up going to bed last night, they had both woken up long after the sun was up and spent far too much time lazing around in bed.

Iwaizumi picked up his phone that he had discarded to the side at the thought of Oikawa. Just as he noticed that he had no new notifications from him, Iwaizumi's phone vibrated, screen lighting up with Oikawa's contact information.

[Subject: (no subject)]  
**From: Oikawa**  ☆  
>> I’m omw to the gym now  
>> look what I found !  
>> [ _image attached_ ]

Iwaizumi sighed, half in exasperation, half in amusement at the sight of Oikawa holding up that stupid moon flower that he had been so caught up on ever since he had visited Kiyose with Iwaizumi last weekend. The petals were folded inwards, the flower closed in the sunlight but still there.

He looked really cute and pleased with himself, which was the only reason Iwaizumi was smiling at the picture rather than texting back a reprimand to Oikawa for going out into the forest alone.

The forest surroundings the school campus where they often had their astronomy lectures was far less dense than the one Iwaizumi and Oikawa had entered in Kiyose. Still, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he liked the idea of Oikawa being there all by himself, even if there were a few hours of sunlight left.

He knew that Oikawa had gone there for him, just as much as he had gone for himself. Iwaizumi's grandmother had somehow convinced Oikawa that the moon flower had something to do with aliens. Oikawa, being Oikawa, had jumped on the explanation without care.

Iwaizumi hated to admit it, but Oikawa's sincerity had put him in a good mood. The fact that he had managed to get as much studying done as he had wanted for the day put him in even better spirits.

He packed his studying materials away, changed, and grabbed a few granola bars and sports drinks before heading out. By the time he got to the gym, he was far too happy from just a damn picture but he was looking forward to seeing Oikawa.

“Yo, where’s Oikawa?” Bokuto asked when Iwaizumi walked in. Bokuto had already changed into a red muscle tee and black shorts, similar to Iwaizumi's own outfit except that his shirt was navy blue.

“He said he’d meet me here,” Iwaizumi frowned. He pulled out his phone to check the timestamp from Oikawa's last message.

As long as he hadn’t ventured too far in, Oikawa should have been here by now. He realized belatedly that Oikawa most certainly had gone further into the forest than he should have. But he had looked fine when he messaged Iwaizumi.

“I’ll call him,” Iwaizumi suggested.

When the call went straight to voicemail, Iwaizumi's stomach sank. He looked up and saw both Bokuto and Kuroo watching him carefully. Without saying anything, Iwaizumi pressed the call button again, but was met with the same response. He had to resist the urge to swear aloud, frustration building because  _fuck_ , he should have paid more attention to Oikawa instead of his class.

He knew that was a stupid thought, that Oikawa didn’t need a babysitter and that wasn’t what Iwaizumi wanted to be. But it was easy for him to blame himself and think of the worst outcomes when he knew what Oikawa's personality was like.

“What’s wrong?” Kuroo asked, eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know, his phone must be dead. The call keeps going to voicemail” Iwaizumi sighed. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have let him go out alone,” he cursed.

He knew that realistically, he couldn’t make Oikawa do anything he didn’t want to and in that moment, Oikawa hadn’t wanted to lounge around in Iwaizumi's apartment. Iwaizumi’s gut feeling wasn’t a good reason to have made Oikawa stay put either.

“Where’d he go?” Kuroo asked, looking entirely unimpressed.

Of course Oikawa would be the reason why his roommate’s dislike for Iwaizumi would grow.

“On some stupid alien hunt in the forest. I didn’t know where he was going until about half an hour ago when he texted me. But he said he was heading to the gym,” he explained before Kuroo could jump on him.

“That idiot,” Kuroo berated. “Oikawa practically lives off his phone. If it’s going straight to voicemail, it must be because he doesn’t have any service and that means he’s still in the forest.”

“His phone could have ran out of battery,” Iwaizumi pointed out, for the sake of his own sanity.

“Oikawa never goes anywhere without a portable charger,” Bokuto frowned.

“Fuck,” Iwaizumi groaned. “I’ll go look for him.”

He had already made up his mind. He knew the area best from all the nights they had spent wandering the forest during their astronomy lecture. It was going to get dark soon and the thought of Oikawa  _lost_  in the forest was one that didn’t sit well with him.

“We’re coming with you,” Bokuto said, dropping the ball in his hand onto the floor.

The gym was set up for a match but none of them bothered to put the equipment away, something Iwaizumi was sure they’d get in trouble for but couldn’t quite bring himself to care in that moment.

Oikawa was lucky his friends cared so much about him. The part of Iwaizumi's mind that wanted to be angry with his boyfriend for being such an idiot was squashed by the worry. Bokuto and Kuroo's silence didn’t help put his mind at ease.

At that point, the only thing that would was seeing Oikawa's stupidly adorable face.

Iwaizumi texted Hanamaki and Matsukawa, telling them the game had been delayed. Their confusion was warranted but until they found Oikawa, Iwaizumi didn’t want to make a big deal out of the situation so he ignored the messages for the time being.

“I’ll call him again,” Bokuto said, after the first unsuccessful hour of walking aimlessly in the forest went by.

Iwaizumi's anger was starting to rise and he could sense Kuroo's agitation as well. It was a miracle they hadn’t bickered with one another yet.

“Forget it, he obviously doesn’t have cell reception yet otherwise he’d have called one of us,” Kuroo snapped.

Bokuto’s eyes widened at Kuroo's aggressiveness but he ignored him. Iwaizumi watched Bokuto press the call button all the same, which only served to annoy Kuroo further, who didn’t hold back on ranting about how stupid all of this was. Iwaizumi had been planning on keeping quiet but he could barely focus with Kuroo's agitation eating away at their stability.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Iwaizumi asked, turning to face Kuroo.

The sun hadn’t quiet set fully yet but the sky was starting to glow orange. With Iwaizumi facing west and Kuroo's head hovering over the slowly setting sun, he looked a lot more menacing. Iwaizumi wasn’t going to back down. He knew they were all worried about Oikawa but Kuroo was just making things difficult.

“That’s rich,” Kuroo scoffed. “ _You’re_  the one who let Oikawa wander off in here alone.”

Iwaizumi grit his teeth. “I didn’t know where he was going and he wouldn’t tell me. What was I supposed to do? Tie him up so he couldn’t leave? He’s a grown man, he can do whatever the fuck he wants. And if I tried to say no to him,  _not that I would have_ , you’d have been on my ass about that too,” he snapped.

It was easy to let his emotions speak for him. Iwaizumi knew it was wrong to get so worked up, especially when he was angry and worried but Kuroo pointing fingers wasn’t doing them any good.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down,” Bokuto said, wedging himself between Iwaizumi and Kuroo. He pressed a palm to their chests, pushing them apart slightly.

“So  _now_  you care about not being an asshole?” Kuroo asked.

Bokuto sighed loudly, putting more pressure on his hands to keep Iwaizumi and Kuroo apart. The last thing Iwaizumi wanted was to fight with Kuroo, especially because he seemed to dislike him so much as was; but he was being a real jerk.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Iwaizumi argued.

“You were a real dick before. Suddenly you change? I don’t believe it,” Kuroo narrowed his eyes.

“I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you, especially because I’m not dating  _you_. You think I didn’t apologize to Oikawa? You think you know what’s best for him? You’re the one who’s being a real asshole now. I didn’t say what I did to him to hurt him and I sure as hell wasn’t trying to be rude.”

To his credit, Kuroo didn’t respond. He didn’t apologize, but he didn’t argue further either, which Iwaizumi took as a temporary win.

“He’s right you know,” Bokuto whispered as Iwaizumi turned back and marched forward without waiting for them.

“Shut up, Bokuto,” Kuroo muttered, but he sounded embarrassed rather than angry.

It took another thirty minutes of walking in silence until they finally heard Oikawa's voice. The relief that washed through Iwaizumi was unmatched. In such a short amount of time, Oikawa had taken over all of Iwaizumi's emotions.

“Oikawa!” Bokuto yelled to try and get a feel of the direction he was in.

“I’m here!” came the faint reply. “Make sure you don’t fall in!” he added.  

Oikawa was standing at the bottom of a shallow hole. He had a few visible scratches but otherwise looked fine.

“You hurt?” Iwaizumi asked despite not seeing any serious injuries.

“No, I’m just stuck,” Oikawa frowned. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and I fell in,” he explained. “Oh, hey, Kuroo's here too,” he grinned, waving up at his roommate when he saw Kuroo's face pop over the edge to peer down at him.

“Stop looking so happy for someone who got stuck in a hole with no cell service,” Kuroo chided. The relief behind his words was evident in his tone.

“I knew someone would find me,” Oikawa waved off. “Just get me out of here. I’m covered in far too much mud and dirt,” he wrinkled his nose.

Iwaizumi would have laughed at Oikawa's petty concern if it weren’t for the fact that he was too busy worrying about his boyfriend. The hole wasn’t deep but there was no footing for Oikawa to balance himself, which meant that they’d need to pull him out.

“I’m the tallest, I’ll reach down. You two just hold me steady,” Kuroo beckoned, reading Iwaizumi's mind.

It took a few tries for Bokuto and Iwaizumi to hold Kuroo without losing their grip but once they found a position that worked, pulling Oikawa up was no big deal. The moment Iwaizumi saw Oikawa hit the ground above, he rushed over to him, handing him a water bottle that he had in his backpack.

“Are you okay?” Iwaizumi asked, wiping off some of the dirt that had gotten onto Oikawa's hands and face.

“I told you, I’m fine,” Oikawa smiled. “Just a few scratches but nothing serious, I promise.”

“I’m taking you to the doctor tomorrow,” Iwaizumi said, ignoring Oikawa's protests.

He was happy that Oikawa was all right for the most part. Iwaizumi sighed, looking at Oikawa's dishevelled appearance. His shirt was dirty and had a small holes running through the back, which Iwaizumi assumed was from the way he had slid down in the first place. Iwaizumi absentmindedly rubbed at the material, frowning when Oikawa winced at the touch.

“I’m fine,” Oikawa repeated before Iwaizumi could berate him.

“You’ve got a scratch on your face,” Iwaizumi pointed out, tracing the red line with the pad of his thumb.

“Does Iwa-chan think I’m ugly now?” Oikawa asked seriously.

Iwaizumi snorted in disbelief, pulling his hand away from Oikawa’s face, letting it hang idly on the ground. “As if something like that could ever make me think you’re ugly. You’re fucking beautiful,” he said honestly.

The flush that appeared on Oikawa's face was contagious. Iwaizumi felt his own cheeks heat up at Oikawa's embarrassment. The redness only spread when he heard loud coughing from behind, only then remembering that they weren’t alone.

“See, he obviously has good intentions if he’s willing to put up with Oikawa's stupidity,” Bokuto nudged Kuroo who hadn’t stopped staring at them contemplatively ever since they pulled Oikawa up.

Kuroo mumbled something under his breath that Iwaizumi couldn’t quite catch, but he didn’t argue against Bokuto so Iwaizumi took it as a good sign. He was far too focused on Oikawa's wellbeing to care much about their argument or what Kuroo thought of him at this point, anyway.  

“Come on, let’s go home,” Iwaizumi stood up, removing his backpack to strap it across his front before he bent down on one knee.

Oikawa got the hint pretty quickly and climbed onto Iwaizumi's back. He pressed a kiss to Iwaizumi's cheek from behind, apologizing quietly when he trailed a bit of dirt across Iwaizumi's face, which Iwaizumi waved off.

“You know, I could probably walk,” Oikawa smiled.

“Probably, but you’d say the same thing even if you couldn’t,” Iwaizumi reminded.

Oikawa chuckled quietly, burying his face in Iwaizumi's neck. “I guess you know me pretty well, huh?” he asked.

Iwaizumi didn’t respond, but he silently agreed with Oikawa's question. He liked to think that he did know Oikawa pretty well, even if it wasn’t long since they had started talking to one another. He realized that all those weeks he had spent in the astronomy lecture with Oikawa had added to his understanding of the other man. While they hadn’t exactly spoken to one another back then, Iwaizumi had embarrassingly enough, been admiring him from the first day.

Oikawa's ability to charm people was annoying, but it was also natural. It was mostly derived from his need to make everyone around him happy and like him. Iwaizumi found that he wasn’t quite annoyed with the way Oikawa had managed to charm him.

By the time they made it out of the forest, the sun had set and the volleyball game lay forgotten. Bokuto and Kuroo headed off to the gym to put away the equipment they had left lying around earlier while Iwaizumi took Oikawa back to his dorm.

“You should stay and have dinner,” Oikawa said, eyes looking hopeful.

Iwaizumi had planned to let Oikawa rest, but if Oikawa didn’t want to be alone then he wasn’t going to leave him. He nodded, following Oikawa to his room where Oikawa gave him permission to look through his drawers for a change of clothes since Iwaizumi's had gotten mud on them from carrying Oikawa back.

It had been twenty minutes since Oikawa went off to scrub away all the dirt and bask in the warmth to soothe his aching muscles but he still wasn’t done and Iwaizumi found himself awkwardly sitting on Oikawa's bed waiting for his return. Kuroo and Bokuto had come back in the meantime, if the loud voices echoing in the halls were any indication.

As they neared Oikawa's door, which was the first in the hallway that led down to the other rooms, the apartment fell silent.

“Can I come in?” Kuroo asked, knocking on the open door to Oikawa's bedroom out of courtesy. Iwaizumi noticed Bokuto look in and smile at him, offering a short wave before he moved on to his own room.

He stood up off the bed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh, sure.” It wasn’t his bedroom – hell, it wasn’t even his apartment – so he didn’t know what say he had in telling Kuroo he could or couldn’t enter.

“I want to apologize for earlier today and for the last few weeks, actually,” Kuroo stuffed his hands in his pockets, fisting them nervously. “You were right about me being an asshole. I guess I’m just protective of Oikawa because he acts like nothing bothers him but is stupid enough to open his heart so willingly. He always gets hurt and I couldn’t understand why he was so taken with you when you were such a jerk, but he’s got a lot better judgement than I gave him credit for,” Kuroo admitted.

His faintly pink-tinged ears, half hidden behind his hair, were the only indication of his humility.

“It’s fine,” Iwaizumi said, meaning the words. “I’m glad he has people looking out for him but I promise I’m not trying to fuck him over. I like him.”

“I know,” Kuroo agreed. “I could tell with how you handled him today,” he smiled. “I really am sorry for giving you so much shit but hey, you’re a tough guy. If you could handle that then I’ve got no doubts that you can handle Oikawa,” he grinned sheepishly.

Apologies were always awkward, especially for the person apologizing. Iwaizumi had enough experience with that, especially in the last few weeks, and he didn’t want to make things worse for Kuroo. So, he chuckled, holding a hand out for Kuroo to take if he desired. “I’m good if you’re good.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kuroo agreed, slapping Iwaizumi's open palm with relief.

“What are you doing in here?” Oikawa asked, standing by the doorway with a wary look, hands placed on his hips. He was wearing nothing but a towel and Iwaizumi felt the urge to throw some clothes at him.

“Apologizing,” Kuroo said honestly.

“Really?” Oikawa asked, relaxing a little. He looked to Iwaizumi for confirmation. 

“Oh come on, I’m not lying,” Kuroo rolled his eyes.

“He’s not,” Iwaizumi confirmed.

“Why are you apologizing  _now_?” Oikawa pressed.

“Because I’ve been told by a number of people how stupid I’ve been acting. And because I’ve come to the conclusions that you’re allowed to make your own decisions, including your own mistakes. Not that I think Iwaizumi is a mistake,” he clarified.

Oikawa was silent for a few moments, eyes flickering between Iwaizumi and Kuroo, searching for some kind of angle. When he didn’t find one, he smiled sunnily but it lasted for only half a second before his face fell again.

“Oh no, does this mean we’re not going to play volleyball together?” he asked, the distraught in his voice obvious.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but laugh loudly at Oikawa's expense, sobering up when he saw Oikawa puff his cheeks out in annoyance at him.

“I should have known how one-tracked your mind is,” Kuroo sighed. “Aliens and volleyball is all you’ve got space for,” he shook his head.

“And Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said brightly. “Aliens, volleyball and Iwa-chan,” he repeated, face splitting into a sincere smile.

Iwaizumi flushed deeply at Oikawa's words, suddenly overcome with the urge to embrace him. It was just like Oikawa to say something so genuine with such indifference. It had Iwaizumi's heart beating at a mile a minute and his mouth going dry because there was nothing he could say that would match Oikawa's sincerity.

“ _O-kay_ ,” Kuroo dragged the syllables out, breaking the silence in the room. “I’m gonna go. We can still play a game of volleyball if you want. No strings attached this time,” he offered.

Oikawa was quick to agree on their behalf, only realizing that he hadn’t asked Iwaizumi for his opinion once Kuroo had left, closing the door behind him.

“It’s fine, I want to play with you,” Iwaizumi reassured a worried Oikawa.

“Ah, that’s good,” Oikawa sighed. “Oh wait, I forgot to show you what I found,” he said suddenly, moving to the dirty pants he had discarded in the laundry hamper before his shower.

He searched through the back pocket for something, face lighting up when he pulled out what might have been a flower a few hours ago but was a crumpled mess now.

“Cool, right?” he asked, not losing his enthusiasm despite the destroyed flower he was holding in his hand.

Iwaizumi stared at him, mouth slightly agape at Oikawa's ridiculousness. “It’s ruined,” he said bluntly.

“Don’t be so negative, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scolded. “I’m going to press it and save it. Next year, I’ll be prepared for your birthday,” he said, flushing slightly at the boldness of his words.

“ _Next_  year?” Iwaizumi quipped, calling Oikawa out on his embarrassment.

“Don’t be mean!” Oikawa whined loudly, hiding his face in his hands.

Iwaizumi peeled Oikawa’s hands away from his face and brought them down to his sides where he held both in his own hands, squeezing them gently. He smiled at Oikawa, face glowing when Oikawa returned the look shyly.

“Cute,” he said honestly. Then, “I’ll look forward to that next year,” he promised, face matching Oikawa's blush. Next year was a long way away but if Oikawa was looking forward to it then Iwaizumi had no problem doing the same.

“Do you believe in aliens now?” Oikawa asked.

“You know what,” Iwaizumi said frankly, “I think I just might.”

“ _Really_?” Oikawa asked, shocked by Iwaizumi's response.

“I mean the moon flower nonsense is a load of shit, no offense to you or my grandmother. But the fact that there’s someone like you who is willing to go to such lengths to prove aliens existence is anything to go by, why the hell not?” he shrugged.

Oikawa looked like he wanted to argue. Iwaizumi knew his admittance was less than reassuring but he had meant what he had said.

Oikawa's belief was rubbing off on him. The fact that Oikawa  _wanted_  to believe, the earnestness with which he looked for proof, the happiness that the slightest bit of hint of existence brought him made Iwaizumi feel all his positivity. For Oikawa's sake, Iwaizumi was willing to believe in aliens too.

“Yay, I’m so happy! I have the best boyfriend,” Oikawa smiled, eyes closed.

Iwaizumi was taken aback by the unexpected compliment. “Go change,” he nudged Oikawa towards his dresser.

“ _Ooh_ , naughty, Iwa-chan! You can just say that you want to see me naked you know,” Oikawa teased, ducking when Iwaizumi swatted a hand at him.

The fact that Iwaizumi had missed only made Oikawa's amusement grow until he decidedly dropped his towel to the ground, making Iwaizumi stall in his tracks and cover his eyes because  _what the fuck_ , where did Oikawa get off being so damn adorable?  

He ignored the jibes about how he didn’t need to be so modest until Oikawa finally put on some damn pants. Once he was only half naked however, Iwaizumi tackled him to the bed, keeping note of Oikawa's minor injuries from earlier in the day. He peppered Oikawa's cheeks in quick kisses until Oikawa was giggling beneath him, flushed from the shower and from happiness.

Whether Iwaizumi believed in aliens wasn’t important at this point. All that mattered was that he  _liked_ Oikawa, because the next time he wanted to do something stupid like trek through a forest alone, Iwaizumi was going to be there right next to him.

**Two Weeks Later**

“Good work with your presentation, boys,” Suzuki-sensei applauded, just as the clock struck 10 pm to signal the end of class.

Oikawa beamed at the praise. “Thank you, sensei. Iwa-chan was a great partner,” he nodded fervently.

Suzuki-sensei’s lips twitched in amusement. Iwaizumi's face heated up because he didn’t like the way their teacher was looking at Iwaizumi like he knew more than he was letting on. It was probably the use of Oikawa's nickname; no matter how many times Iwaizumi told Oikawa to drop it, he knew it was going to stick. A part of him enjoyed the cuteness of it, but a bigger part was wholly embarrassed any time Oikawa referred to him like that in front of others.

“I’m glad. I liked your anecdotal touch. It was nice to see how far some students went for their theories,” Suzuki-sensei complimented.

Iwaizumi didn’t think Oikawa needed any more encouragement to continue making insensible decisions about searching for aliens, but it was too late. The way his eyes practically  _shined_  at hearing Suzuki-sensei’s praise was an indication that nothing was going to stop Oikawa now.

“Thank you, sensei,” Oikawa repeated politely for both himself and Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi only nodded next to him to reciprocate the gratitude.

It was late and he just wanted to go home. Both he and Oikawa had finished their exams yesterday and this presentation was the last thing on their list before the second half of the semester was due to start. Since it was only Wednesday and they had finished early, it meant a four-day weekend, which Iwaizumi was very much looking forward to spending with Oikawa.

As if sensing Iwaizumi's impatience, their teacher looked down at his watch, letting out a small sound of surprise. “I should let you to leave. I’ll see you when classes resume next week,” he smiled, bidding them a farewell.

“Think we’ll get an A on this project?” Oikawa asked, threading his fingers through Iwaizumi's the moment Suzuki-sensei left the classroom.

Today’s class had been held inside, due to the nature of the presentations. Iwaizumi was grateful for the change in pace; he had enough of wandering through forests to last him a lifetime. Somehow though, he had a feeling this was just the beginning for him.

“I’d be surprised if we didn’t. Sensei loves you,” Iwaizumi laughed.

“He does, doesn’t he?” Oikawa beamed.

“Suck up,” Iwaizumi retorted, pulling Oikawa out of the classroom and back to his dorm.

He pulled out his phone with his free hand, sifting through the texts that he got from his group chat with Hanamaki and Matsukawa. They had been invited to a video game night back at Oikawa's dorm, which Bokuto had roped them all into. It appeared that his friends were already there.

Iwaizumi scrolled further, eyebrows furrowing when he caught sight of his sister’s name.

[Subject: summer vacation]  
**From: Minako**  
>> have you asked Tooru-nii yet?  
>> hello!?!?!  
>> oniichan answer my messages!

There were quite a few texts from her but Iwaizumi ignored the rest, stuffing his phone back into his pockets.

“What’s wrong?” Oikawa asked, sensing Iwaizumi's hesitation.

“What are you doing in the summer break?” he asked quickly, before he could lose his courage.

“Probably going back to Miyagi. My brother’s got a girlfriend that I haven’t met yet. He’s being really pushy so I think he wants to ask her to marry him but wants to wait till I’ve met her first at least,” Oikawa said pensively.

Iwaizumi let out a nervous sigh. “Oh, that’s important.”

“Only a little,” Oikawa admitted with a small chuckle. “Why? What are you doing?” he asked.

The walk from the astronomy building to Oikawa's dorm on the edge of the campus wasn’t a far one. Still, whenever Iwaizumi walked with Oikawa he couldn’t help but notice the way Oikawa dragged his feet, making the walk longer than it should have been. Even though Iwaizumi was coming over with him, it didn’t stop Oikawa from walking slow.

It was sweet and Iwaizumi knew he just liked being alone, which they weren’t going to get the chance to be until tomorrow morning, at the earliest.

Even with Oikawa showing his endearment so openly, Iwaizumi was nervous about what he was going to say.

“My grandparents want to spend a few weeks in Okutama. I don’t know if I told you, but they used to live there for about two years before they moved back to Kiyose,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

As expected, Oikawa's mouth dropped open at the sound of  _Okutama_. “You didn’t tell me that! Iwa-chan that’s so cool! I’m so  _jealous_ ,” he whined, dropping his face to Iwaizumi's shoulder and rubbing against it like a neglected kitten.

Iwaizumi bit the inside of his cheek at Oikawa's reaction, knowing that laughing at his boyfriend’s expense was just going to land him in trouble. Oikawa was adorable at every turn. When he was happy, it was the most obvious because his cheeks were dusted in a soft, pink glow and his eyes got all round and glassy. Even when he was angry however, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but think he was adorable, with his puffed out cheeks and pursed lips, the tip of his nose turning red from how furiously he’d keep rubbing at it.

“Well, my grandparents told me to ask you if you wanted to come. After meeting you a few weeks ago and knowing how much you like aliens…” Iwaizumi trailed off.

Oikawa lifted his face up so quickly he almost knocked Iwaizumi in the face with the top if his head. “ _Really_?” he asked disbelievingly.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. “But you’ve got important plans so maybe next time?” he asked hopefully.

Oikawa shook his head firmly. “No way. Going to Okutama with Iwa-chan versus meeting my brother’s girlfriend? That’s obviously an easy pick. Can I come?” he asked, waiting for Iwaizumi's answer with round eyes.

Iwaizumi frowned at the response. “But…” he started, looking for words to convey his thoughts.

“Does Iwa-chan want me to come?” Oikawa asked simply.

“Well,  _yeah_ ,” Iwaizumi agreed.

“Then I’m coming. Your grandparents wanted to invite me, right? It would be rude to say no,” he pointed out.

“It would also be rude to go back on your plans with your family,” Iwaizumi retorted.

He wanted Oikawa to visit – he  _really_  did – and while the fact that Oikawa was willing to drop his own plans for Iwaizumi had something to do with his desire to go to Okutama in general, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he wanted Oikawa's family to know him as the guy who made Oikawa abandon his family for him.

Iwaizumi knew he was being a little extreme but fuck it, he was paranoid. He  _liked_  Oikawa, and just because his family liked him too didn’t mean that the feelings from Oikawa's family would be mutual when it came to Iwaizumi.

“Why are you being so difficult?” Oikawa complained. “The break is like a month and half long. I’ve got enough time to do both,” Oikawa promised, looking to Iwaizumi pleadingly.

As if Iwaizumi was going to deny him what he wanted.

“Okay,” he agreed with a smile. “My grandparents will be happy to hear you’re coming. Minako too. She hasn’t stopped talking about you,” Iwaizumi laughed embarrassedly.

“And what about you?” Oikawa asked.

“What  _about_ me?”

“You said your grandparents and your sister are going to be happy that I’m coming. What about Iwa-chan?” he clarified.

Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa to a stop, turning him so they were face to face. “ _Of course_  I’m happy you’re coming,” he clucked his tongue. As if that was even a question.

Saying the words aloud however, made Oikawa's smile grow tenfold. “You’d probably be so lonely without me for so many weeks. What would Iwa-chan do all by himself in Okutama?” Oikawa asked teasingly.

“Not look for aliens, that’s for sure,” Iwaizumi muttered.

“ _Iwa-chan_!” Oikawa scolded.

His hearing seemed to be amplified whenever the word ‘alien’ was uttered. Iwaizumi bit the inside of his cheek to stop the amusement he was feeling from showing on his face.

“You know, since you’re going to miss me so much and you obviously don’t know how to appreciate the  _real_  beauty in Okutama, why don’t you come home with me when I go back to Miyagi?” he asked quickly.

If it wasn’t for the way the tips of Oikawa's ears tinged red, Iwaizumi would never have noticed his embarrassment. The way he said it sounded like he was doing Iwaizumi a favour, but after the past month of actually talking to Oikawa and the past three months of just noticing his behaviour, Iwaizumi had come to understand when Oikawa was truly shy about something.

“Won’t that take away from your brother’s big announcement?” he couldn’t help but ask hesitantly.

“I’m his younger brother. I’m  _supposed_  to steal his thunder,” Oikawa informed with a nod.

“You’re so spoiled,” Iwaizumi sighed.

His words held nothing but affection, which Oikawa was quick to catch on to. “So… is that a yes?” he hedged.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi agreed. “I’ll go to Miyagi with you. On one condition though,” he added as an afterthought.

“What is it?” Oikawa frowned.

“You’re only allowed to drag me on  _one_  alien expedition per day that we’re in Okutama,” he said firmly.

“ _What_?” Oikawa complained. “Iwa-chan, that’s not fair! Do you know how many cool things there are to see in Okutama? You can’t do this to me. This is bullying and you know it,” he frowned. “Wait, how many days are we there for? Does it count if I don't  _mention_  aliens?” he fired off question after question.

Iwaizumi couldn’t help but laugh loudly, his amusement too much to hold back. Oikawa was far too endearing and there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d say no to what Oikawa wanted, but it was fun to see him get so serious and so passionate about the topic.

They bantered like that all the way back to Oikawa's dorm, at which point Oikawa had managed to convince Iwaizumi to change one expedition per day to two. Iwaizumi knew that by the time they were in Okutama, he’d willingly follow Oikawa wherever he wanted to go, if only so that he got to see the way Oikawa’s face lit up with honest excitement at the most mundane of things.

Oikawa was far from who Iwaizumi would have expected to fall for. Now though, Iwaizumi couldn’t see himself with anyone else and as scary of a thought that was, it was made him want to squeeze Oikawa's hand a little tighter, kiss him a little deeper and tell him how much he was starting to love him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started a new job this week and work's been busy but the fact that I could come home and post this last chapter today got me going through the week. Now though, I'm a little sad that this has come to an end. This honestly started off as such a whim bc I have other ongoing fics I should be working on but this little plot wouldn't leave me and here we are... 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who commented, subscribed, bookmarked and pressed that little kudos button! Your support means a lot and I'm so grateful for the kindness you showed me and this fic. 
> 
> I've got something new planned and of course, now that this fic is done I'm going to re-focus my efforts on my ongoing WIPs but woo a second mutichap complete! 
> 
> Please feel free to come chat with me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/oiivkawa) or [Tumblr](https://oiivkawa.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> Kudos and comments on this last chapter are much appreciated! I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this fic ♡


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